Orbital Buses

Keith Prince: Do you accept there would be considerable demand for expanding the number of orbital bus routes in London?

The Mayor: There are many bus routes in outer London that could be described as orbital, including parts of radial services to outer London town centres. There is considerable demand for these services and most of the new bus routes and extensions I have introduced in this Mayoral term have been to improve these links. Eight of these new services introduced can be described as orbital (routes 218, 278, 301, 306, 335, 483, 497 and X140).Also, five extensions (on bus routes 112, 125, 440, 384 and 483) have boosted orbital connections in outer London over the past five years.Routes 112, 154, 174, 175, 232, 249, 314, EL1, H12, H13 and W19 have also had frequency increases.
I expect demand in outer London to continue to grow relative to that in inner London. Transport for London will continue to monitor demand as part of its regular review of the bus network, and will consider opportunities for enhancing services on orbital routes.

Vaccine rollout

Onkar Sahota: London is still lagging behind the rest of England in the vaccine rollout. Are you confident London is receiving the right resources?

The Mayor: I have repeatedly called on the Government to scale up the vaccine supply inLondon, and,following positive meetings with the Minister for COVID Vaccine Deployment, I am assured that London is getting an uplift in vaccine supply.
The Government’s original distribution formula meant that London missed out on its early fair share of the vaccine, but this has now been addressed.
It is a huge achievement that more than 1.6m doses of the life-saving COVID-19 vaccines have now been given to the most vulnerable Londoners, their carers and NHS workers. NHS staff and volunteers have worked incredibly hard to deliver the vaccines to Londoners, and we owe them a huge debt of gratitude.

Vaccines Equity Group (2)

Onkar Sahota: What recommendations has the Vaccines Equity Group made to help reduce vaccine hesitancy in London?

The Mayor: The Vaccines Equity Group was set up as a task and finish group to scope the issues associated with vaccine take up with different groups.
I now welcome the establishment of a specific hesitancy and engagement group with senior leadership which is tasked to understand and respond to vaccine hesitancy and barriers to access
Partnersacross London, including the NHS, the GLA, London Councils, PHE and community and faith groups continue to work closely together to tackle vaccinehesitancy.Collaboration happens acrossa number ofdifferent pan-London groups and is informed by ongoing research and intelligence gathered from across the city
Partners aresharingcommunicationassetswhich includeadvertising, translated messaging, social media, press, and content that can be shared directly on platforms likeWhatsApp.
Open and honest conversations with communities are a vital tool to tacklevaccinehesitancy.Together, partners across London are coming together to host and delivery a series of “Big Conversation” events, bringing together communities and health experts. These events started in February and continue.

119m support for police officers (2)

Susan Hall: Is the £119m of funding you announced in 2019 to protect Met Police officer numbers on track to do so?

The Mayor: I provided the funding for an additional 1,300 police officers on London’s streets at a time when the Government’s cuts had led to the Met dropping to below 30,000 officers for the first time in 15 years. The decisions I have made will ensure that those 1,300 officers will continue to be funded for the next four years – giving the Met the certainty on its future funding from City Hall that sadly the Government has not provided for national funding allocations.

Mayor's Good Growth Fund (6)

Susan Hall: As delivered via the 2018 second round of the Mayor’s Good Growth Fund, how successful have the new & refurbished performance, rehearsal, learning & play spaces at Polka Children’s Theatre in Wimbledon been, in providing opportunities for disadvantaged children and hard-to-reach families?

The Mayor: The Future Polka project at the Polka Theatre was funded in 2018 as part of round 2 of my Good Growth Fund. My regeneration officers are monitoring the project which is currently being constructed on site and is due for completion June 2021. It will provide new and refurbished performance, rehearsal, learning and play spaces and allow the site to be fully accessible to children with disabilities.
The productions planned for summer 2021 for children age 5+ will provide 500 free tickets to schools and a community subsidised ticket programme. Additionally, programmes run over the opening period will engage specifically with children and families via referrals and through a community engagement programme working with the disadvantaged children in the local area.
The completion of the project has been delayed because of restrictions in place during the pandemic. However, during the lockdown periods, and whilst the theatre is closed for refurbishment, Polka have adapted their community programming to meet COVID restrictions and are running events digitally. This digital offer has included, free health and wellbeing workshops for primary schools, their free intergenerational community choir continuing to run online with members aged 5 to 85 and the ‘Write Here Write Now’ literacy project connecting with five local schools from disadvantaged parts of Merton.

Lateral Flow Testing

Navin Shah: As Councils roll out rapid lateral flow testing, will you help to encourage Londoners to take advantage of this and get tested regularly?

The Mayor: I have repeatedly called upon the Government to make asymptomatic testing more available and so I fully support the drive to make lateral flow testing available across the city. I welcome the government’s lateral flow testing for schools, early years providers and the offer for employers.
London’s local authorities have done an amazing job making sure that all our communities can access asymptomatic testing at locations across the city. With employers' support, lateral flow testing will become more widely available in the workplace making it more easily accessible. I will be publicising the testing offer to employers through my business networks and communications.
I continue to support co-ordinated communications across London working with London Councils and the boroughs to encourage people to get tested. This includes regularly encouraging Londoners to get tested through my social media channels.

TfL Ridership

Alison Moore: What assessment have you and TfL made of the impact of the Prime Minister’s roadmap to ease COVID-19 restrictions on TfL ridership forecasts?

The Mayor: In a comprehensive paper presented to the Transport for London (TfL) Board on Tuesday 13 March 2021, TfL included details on its modelling analysis on the pandemic recovery. This is aligned to the recent Government Roadmap (published on 22 Feb) and suggests a range of scenarios.
The central scenario currently being used by TfL suggests 2021/22 ridership averaging around two thirds of 2018/19 demand and takes into account a gradual return of demand related to office work and leisure following step four of the roadmap, with a period of reduced demand during cold and flu season next winter.
Further details are here: https://content.tfl.gov.uk/board-20210316-agenda-supplementary-papers.pdf

Air Pollution in Enfield & Haringey (2)

Joanne McCartney: How much has air pollution reduced at schools across Enfield & Haringey since 2016?

The Mayor: My bold air pollution policies, introduced prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, have already helped to cut the number of state schools with illegal levels of pollution by 97 per cent – from 455 schools in 2016 to just 14 in 2019. In Enfield and Haringey the number of schools located in areas exceeding the legal limit for nitrogen dioxide went from 26 to zero so no schools in Enfield and Haringey are in areas with illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide.
However, there is more work still to do to clean up London’s air. All schools in Enfield and Haringey still exceed the World Health Organization guideline limits for particulate matter (PM2.5). This is why I am committed to expanding the ULEZ later this year. I have also consistently demanded that the Government match my ambitions and improve the new Environment Bill to include legally binding WHO recommended limits to be achieved by 2030, and to give cities the powers and funding we need to eradicate air pollution.

Air Pollution in Enfield & Haringey (3)

Joanne McCartney: How much has air pollution reduced in residential areas in Enfield & Haringey since 2016?

The Mayor: My bold policies to tackle air pollution have contributed to significant reductions in air pollution across London, including in Enfield and Haringey. In Enfield and Haringey the number of schools located in areas exceeding the legal limit for nitrogen dioxide went from 26 in 2016 to zero in 2019 so no schools in Enfield and Haringey are in areas with illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide.
Modelling included in the “Air Quality in London 2016 – 2020” report shows that between 2016 – 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic, there was a Londonwide reduction in annual average nitrogen dioxide (NO2) of 20 per cent and reduction in annual average particulate matter (PM2.5) of 15 per cent.
The “Air pollution monitoring data in London: 2016 – 2020” includes data for three “urban background” monitoring sites in Enfield and Haringey, which are representative of residential areas. These sites recorded reductions in annual average NO2 pollution of 10 to 16 per cent between 2016 and 2019.
However, there is more work still to do to clean up London’s air. All schools in Enfield and Haringey still exceed the World Health Organization guideline limits for particulate matter (PM2.5). This is why I am committed to expanding the ULEZ later this year. I have also consistently demanded that the Government match my ambitions and improve the new Environment Bill to include legally binding WHO recommended limits to be achieved by 2030, and to give cities the powers and funding we need to eradicate air pollution.
The full record of monitoring sites across London can be found in the “Air pollution monitoring data in London: 2016 – 2020” report here:
https://www.london.gov.uk/WHAT-WE-DO/environment/environment-publications/air-pollution-monitoring-data-london-2016-2020
Read the “Air Quality in London 2016 – 2020” report here: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/air_quality_in_london_2016-2020_october2020final.pdf

Knife Crime in Enfield & Haringey

Joanne McCartney: What steps have you been taking to reduce knife crime in Enfield & Haringey?

The Mayor: The VRU works with London’s 32 Community Safety Partnerships, including those for Enfield and Haringey. The VRU assists the CSP with its local violence reduction action plan by reviewing and providing support through visits and assessment of local work. The plans include actions focussed on safeguarding, education, working with communities, diversion support for victims and reducing access to weapons.
City Hall provides each borough with funding through the London Crime Prevention fund. The VRU provides £200,000 each year to both boroughs, to support local violence reduction. The VRU also provides each borough funding for education projects including afterschool support, pupil referral unit mentoring and transition from primary to secondary schools.
The VRU supports Haringey with a parent’s champion network and a grassroots project for Somali young people at risk of violence. The Tottenham Hale ward consortium in Haringey was recently successful in securing funding through the VRU’s MyEnds programme.

London’s poor position of pedestrian deaths from buses on international benchmark

Caroline Pidgeon: The data provided in your response to Question 2020/3828 shows TfL in the bottom half of its World City benchmark for pedestrian deaths from bus collisions and with a higher deaths per km than about 60% of its World City Peers. Does this result further confirm that the World Leading Bus Safety Programme announced on 1 February 2016 has not been given the full priority it deserves? What assurances can you give that London’s international position will improve?

The Mayor: Transport for London’s (TfL’s) Bus Safety Programme contains very significant measures to reduce casualties across London and is keeping London on course to meet my target of reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured by a bus by 70 per cent by 2022, compared to a 2005-09 baseline.
TfL developed a Bus Safety Road Map to ensure that London benefits from new safety technology when it becomes available and that the programme makes increasingly significant inroads into cutting deaths and reducing the severity of injuries. TfL’s Bus Safety Standard is now a part of bus operator route contracts and a number of innovative measures have already been introduced. For example, Intelligent Speed Assistance is now a standard requirement on all new buses coming into service, while all new quiet-running electric and hybrid electric buses now benefit from an Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System, which emits a sound to alert vulnerable road users to the presence of the bus. All London’s 25,000 bus drivers are also going through new safety training, focused on vulnerable road users.
We are making sustained progress towards our Vision Zero targets of eliminating deaths on or by a bus by 2030 and eradicating serious injuries on London’s roads by 2041. These are ambitious targets that will help improve our position compared to other international cities with similar bus networks to ours.

Fire on DLR train at Poplar station

Caroline Pidgeon: Has the investigation into the fire that occurred on a DLR train at Poplar station on the 16 January 2021 been completed? As the initial cause of the fire has been identified as a fault on the shoe that picks up the power, has any assessment been undertaken on this part of other trains throughout the DLR?

The Mayor: The 16 January 2021 incident occurred at East India station. The electrical contact points, or ‘shoes’, that pick up the power on DLR vehicles are susceptible to gathering small debris particles as a result of mechanical wear. This can occasionally build up and cause short circuits, which leads to protective circuit breakers tripping. There is also a risk of visible arcing or, very rarely (as with the incident on 16/01/2021) a small fire, where the accumulated detritus catches fire.
Working with its contractors, TfL put in place a series of measures throughout 2020 to reduce the risk of shoe gear problems occurring. This resulted in a 91 per cent reduction in incidents during 2020. TfL continues to monitor shoe gear performance and to work on further mitigations and counter-measures.

Anti-virus air filters

Caroline Pidgeon: I understand that anti-virus air filters are being fitted to every bus on the Brighton and Hove Metrobus fleet. What assessment has TfL undertaken of the use of anti-virus air filters on buses, Trams, the DLR, London Overground and the London Underground?

The Mayor: The use of filters to mitigate against the spread of Covid has been previously considered for both building and vehicle ventilation systems across Transport for London (TfL). Depending on the type of ventilation system, TfL uses bags or panel type filters of various filtration grades, suitable for the environment. High Efficiency Particulate (HEPA) filters, which have the potential to filter viruses like COVID-19, are typically only used in environments like laboratories, hospital operating theatres, that need to be sterile. In other settings, ventilation systems are typically not capable of being upgraded with HEPA filters without compromising other aspects of performance; for example, the increased resistance that air faces to get through the HEPA filter creates a greater risk of air leaking around the unit. Air leaks would undo the benefits of installing a HEPA filter.
TfL is aware of the potential benefits of Pathogen Eliminating Particulate air (PEPA) filters and is investigating this for use within its building and rail vehicle ventilation systems. For its bus fleet, TfL is working in conjunction with the bus operators to test and evaluate the technology after seeing the positive results of recent research and testing. TfL is also further improving air flow onboard buses by fitting a new part to windows to keep them permanently open.
In the interim, TfL continues to inspect and maintain its existing filters in line with industry best practice guidance (taking all appropriate safety precautions while doing so). In identified building locations, TfL has an increased maintenance frequency to decrease the risk of filter blockages.

Removal of cash payments at London Underground stations (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: Bank of England research, titled Cash in the time of Covid, published on the 24 November 2020 stated:
“A few hours after infection, even at high doses, the levels and therefore associated risk of infection appear low. We also conclude that there is no material difference in the viability of the virus on polymer and paper banknotes.”
Does the time lag between cash being placed in ticket machines and then being handled by selective TfL staff mitigate the risks of Covid from cash payments, especially when coupled with the use of Personal Protective Equipment?

The Mayor: Throughout the pandemic, Transport for London’s (TfL’s) priority has been the safety of its staff and customers. TfL is not aware of any definitive evidence on the issue of how long the virus can persist on surfaces. The cashless arrangements have also helped facilitate social distancing by reducing queuing and congregating at ticket machines and ticket offices. Overall, these arrangements have worked well and, where issues have arisen, TfL has taken steps to address these. TfL will continue to monitor these arrangements and respond to any concerns raised.

Removal of cash payments at London Underground stations (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: In a letter to the London Assembly Transport Committee, dated the 24 February 2021, on the subject of the removal of cash payments at London Underground stations it was stated by the Managing Director of London Underground that: “While the coronavirus transmission rate is high and passenger numbers remain low, we will continue to maintain the temporary cashless arrangements already in place at ticket machines on London Underground and DLR stations, and at London Overground, TfL Rail and Emirates Airline ticket offices. This is to protect staff and customers from handling cash.”
Has TfL undertaken any research or received any scientific evidence which differs in anyway from the research of the Bank of England, which in its bulletin titled Cash in the time of Covid, published on the 24 November 2020 stated: “In summary, any risk from handling cash should be low.”?

The Mayor: Throughout the pandemic, Transport for London’s (TfL’s) priority has been the safety of its staff and customers. TfL has implemented a range of measures to reduce the risk of transmission on public transport, including temporarily stopping cash acceptance at ticket offices and ticket machines across large parts of the transport network. The Government’s safer travel guidance for passengers and its guidance for retailers both encourage the use of contactless payments where possible. This has also facilitated social distancing by reducing queuing and congregating at ticket machines and ticket offices, further reducing the risk of transmission. Overall, these arrangements have worked well and, where issues have arisen, TfL has taken steps to address these. TfL will continue to monitor these arrangements and respond to any concerns raised.
TfL has also commissioned independent research into the issues surrounding the use of cash on the transport network. As people gradually return to the transport network and restrictions ease, TfL will use the opportunity to monitor how people are choosing to pay for their travel, incorporating analysis of customer feedback and enhanced monitoring by station staff.

Phase 2 of the UCL Initial Assessment of London Bus Driver Mortality from Covid-19 (2)

Keith Prince: Following up your lack of response to Question 2020/2697, please provide me with all final copies and drafts of presentations and steps to communicate phase 2 findings plus copies of any communications (emails, handwritten notes) associated with these including early drafts of presentations, press releases and plans to communicate phase 2 findings.

The Mayor: I understand Transport for London sent you this documentation on Thursday 4 March.

Bus Operator Ferry Driving and Covid-19 Risk (9)

Keith Prince: Given the concentration of Covid-19 deaths among Metroline and Tower Transit Bus Drivers, has TfL considered the possibility of a “Super-Spreader” event might have originated with ferry drivers working for those companies’ Bus Garages?

The Mayor: Every death from coronavirus is a tragedy and my thoughts remain with the friends and families of our colleagues who have died. We will continue to do everything possible to protect bus drivers.
Transport for London (TfL) and the bus operators have consistently relied on the health information available to inform the safeguards put in place to minimise risks linked to COVID-19. The University College London report on bus driver fatalities considered the range of cleaning and safety measures put in place by the bus companies. It concluded that it was the introduction of lockdown that had the most significant impact on reducing infection rates. This research, along with Public Health England advice, has been informing the bus services operations. The same guidance is being applied by bus operators on ferry vehicles to help minimise the risk of transmission events.
Cleaning regimes of ferry vehicles have been enhanced, and steps have been taken to reduce their capacities and ensure staff sit apart. Wherever a positive coronavirus test result is identified, contact tracing is undertaken to identify those who may have been in close contact with the individual. The same process would be applied if a ferry vehicle driver tested positive.

Commonhold Policy for London

Caroline Pidgeon: The recent cladding and fire safety scandal has further exposed the serious flaws in the leasehold model of home ownership. I believe a commonhold model could prevent many of the issues currently being faced by leaseholders in London and has been adopted across many European countries in recent years. What consideration have you given to a commonhold development policy requirement for residential developments in London, particularly those that require your direct approval and/or funding?

The Mayor: As I have mentioned in the past, I support a move towards commonhold ownership. However, as the Law Commission’s investigation into leasehold reform has highlighted, any move towards commonhold needs to be backed by changes to the legislation and for that we need government to act. The current legislation, for example, has a strict ban on residential leases of longer than seven years. This would impact on my ability to fund shared ownership tenures within a commonhold system, and therefore also undermine my efforts to meet affordable home ownership targets.
I am keen to explore how the GLA can use its powers and resources to support uptake of commonhold in London. But the Government must remove constraints limiting the widespread uptake of commonhold by carrying out a successful reform of the legislative system. We await the government’s full response to the Law Commission’s recommendations for reform made in July 2020.

Transparency about Nearly Catastrophic First Group Croydon Tram Safety Incidents

Keith Prince: Three nearly catastrophic safety incidents involving the First Group Croydon Tram took place between August and October 2020 but didn’t become known to the public until February 2021. Given the upcoming inquest and the public’s interest in Croydon Tram Safety issues, will you undertake to ensure that all such future incidents are reported by TfL through press releases as soon as TfL officers are made aware of them?

The Mayor: All incidents which occur within the TfL network have strict reporting requirements, which form part of the Operators Contractual Requirements. As such, these incidents, when reported, follow Tranpsort for London’s (TfL’s) due process for Incident Investigation and Governance for reporting.
This question is mistaken as regards the public reporting of these incidents. The New Addington incident on 5 August 2020 was reported in TfL’s Safety, Health & Environment quarterly report in November 2020.
The Commissioner’s verbal report to the TfL Board in December 2020 (as recorded in the minutes of the meeting) also noted that TfL had been notified by FirstGroup of a number of incidents in recent months and that, while none of these resulted in harm to customers or staff, TfL was taking them extremely seriously and following up with the operator and regulator to understand the reasons for each incident and to ensure that corrective mitigative action had been taken. The Commissioner’s report to the TfL Board on 3 February 2021 refers to this, stating that, as mentioned in the update to the Board in December, TfL noted with concern that there have been three operational incidents across the tram network in a short period of time. All had been reported to the Office of Rail and Road. The report advised that a full paper on the matter would be provided to the Safety, Sustainability & Human Resources Panel meeting on 10 February 2021. This meeting was held in public, and a Managing Director at FirstGroup also attended to provide an update.

TfL’s Concession to Unite the Union on Face Masks

Keith Prince: In June 2020, Unite the Union published a notice entitled “Government guidance for face coverings on public transport” which, inter alia, claimed “TfL and the Bus Operators agreed to Unite’s demand that the use of face coverings should remain optional for the driver…you choose if you want to wear a face covering.”

Do TfL and the Bus Operators still agree to Unite’s June 2020 demand? What justification did Unite the Union provide for making the wearing of masks by bus drivers optional? Please provide any evidence that TfL used to rebut Unite arguments to relax safety measures recommended by Public Health England (PHE) on the travelling public and on its contractors? Under what authority or legislation does TfL have legal powers to relax (as in this case) or impose safety measures beyond those recommended by PHE on the travelling public and on its contractors?

The Mayor: Trade Unions have worked tirelessly with TfL and bus operators to improve safety for all of our frontline staff.However, I do not accept the premise of your question. Over the past year, TfL has been guided by official advice when taking decisions and issuing guidance to operators regarding the safety of bus workers.
In the early stages of the pandemic, the advice from Public Health England (PHE) and the World Health Organisation was against mask wearing - and that instead masks should be reserved for medical professionals. TfL and the bus operators followed and responded to the official advice, which primarily focused on hand hygiene.
As PHE advice changed over time, TfL guidance to operators reflected this. The requirement to wear a face covering when on public transport under ‘The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings on Public Transport) (England) Regulations 2020’ applies to passengers who travel on a bus but not to public transport employees acting in the course of their employment.
Drivers continue to be able to choose to wear a face covering in the cab. This is consistent with current PHE guidance and the independent safety assurance work conducted by University College London (UCL). This report can be viewed at: http://www.instituteofhealthequity.org/resources-reports/london-bus-drivers-review
There continues to be many important safeguards in place to protect bus drivers, including a relentless focus on cleaning and limits on the number of passengers onboard to allow for social distancing. Bus ventilation systems have been improved and drivers’ cabs have been fully sealed-up to reduce the risk of transmission.

TfL’s Implementation of RAIB’s Croydon Tram Crash Investigation Recommendations

Keith Prince: Under the “Investigation updates and conclusions in Quarter 3, Croydon tram overturning” section of TfL’s 10 February 2021 Report to the Safety, Sustainability and HR (SSHR) Panel it is stated “The RAIB investigated the incident, as well as the BTP and the ORR. The RAIB issued its report in 2017 and updated it in 2018. The report made 15 recommendations, which we have now implemented.” Kindly note that RAIB has made 2 additional updates to its investigation since 2018, one in November 2019 when it corrected errors discovered by former TfL Board Director and Safety Panel Chair Michael Liebreich and again in October 2020, when RAIB corrected an error discovered by me. If RAIB’s 15 recommendations have indeed been implemented, how you explain the 3 nearly catastrophic Tram safety incidents that occurred in Q3 2020?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has worked with FirstGroup and industry partners to ensure that the 15 Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) recommendations are fully implemented, especially those that were specific to the London Tram network where, in some cases, industry-leading technology has been installed on the network.
The Office of Rail and Road is responsible for monitoring all tramways’ compliance with the RAIB recommendations, and it has confirmed that it considers the recommendations to have been implemented on the London Trams network.
With respect to the three separate incidents to which you refer, these have all been fully investigated and responded to and appropriate actions taken. They do not affect the work already undertaken following the Sandilands RAIB recommendations.

Stop and Search

Navin Shah: The IOPC’s review of Stop and Search brought up a number of concerning issues. I was glad to see the Met Police accept all recommendations made by this review. However, will you continue to use your voice to encourage the police to do all they can to establish trust with the Black community in London, who are disproportionately affected by Stop and Search?

The Mayor: It is absolutely vital our police service retains the trust and confidence of the communities it serves. Every Londoner, regardless of background, should feel safe, protected and properly served by our police. We cannot ignore the fact Black Londoners have less trust in the Met and that there remains a persistent disproportionality in the way police powers, such as stop and search, affect Black Londoners.
This is why myself and my Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime welcome these recommendations, which are reflective of the concerns we have heard from communities, and work covering these areas has been included in my Action Plan for trust and confidence.
It is right that the Met has fully accepted the recommendations and are working to make the change needed. As Mayor, I will continue to do my best to ensure equalities faced by minority communities – in policing and elsewhere – are being addressed, not least through my Plan.

The Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution (2)

Leonie Cooper: In ‘The ten point plan for a green industrial revolution’ the government sets out an expansion of school streets schemes. How much of this funding is expected to come to London?

The Mayor: The Prime Minister’s ‘Ten point plan for a green industrial revolution’ makes reference to the Government’s commitment to invest £2bn in walking and cycling schemes over the next five years, including new school streets.
In 20/21, the Government allocated £250m of this funding to local authorities in England through the Active Travel Fund, including £25m of funding for London. In addition to this, Transport for London’s (TfL) emergency funding settlements with the Government have included funding for active travel and Healthy Streets delivery in London, including £55m in H1 and £75m in H2.
In the first half of 20/21, 317 temporary school streets have been introduced as part of the Streetspace for London programme, and delivery will continue throughout the remainder of the year. Funding for these temporary schemes has been drawn from both the Government’s Active Travel Fund and TfL’s emergency funding settlements.
It is currently unclear whether London will be eligible for further allocations from the Active Travel Fund in 21/22 and beyond.However, we will continue to make the case for investment in transport and a fair allocation of this funding to London.

Planning interference in Kensington and Chelsea

Tony Devenish: Do you regret, what amounts to, in my view, your repeated, excessive, politicised and injudicious use of your planning call-in powers in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in your current Mayoral term, and do you have any intention of modifying this behaviour in future?

The Mayor: I strongly refute that my use of planning call in powers has been excessive, politicised or injudicious.
During my Mayoral term, there have been 21 call in hearings, 3 of which have been for schemes in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. There have also been 3 hearings for schemes in the Royal Borough of Greenwich and 2 in the boroughs of Barnet and Wandsworth.
London is facing a housing crisis and we urgently need more housing, particularly genuinely affordable homes. Our analysis shows that London needs at least 66,000 new homes a year until 2030, 43,000 of which must be affordable. Fixing the housing crisis is one of my top priorities, and doing this is dependent on all London boroughs playing their part by approving well-designed schemes with good levels of low-cost rented and other genuinely affordable housing.
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea has consistently failed to meet the targets for overall additional homes and affordable units over the period 2015-2019. In the year 2018-19 only 115 homes were delivered against a target of 733 of which just 1 was affordable.
Across the 21 cases that have been called-in and approved at a Representation Hearing, 6,760 affordable homes have been secured, and approximately 15,000 new homes in total.

Kew Road (2)

Tony Arbour: Does TfL hold figures on how long it takes for people to alight from coaches at each stop on the Kew Road and, if so, will you publish those figures?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor’s Question 2021/1313.

Kew Road (3)

Tony Arbour: Does TfL hold figures on how long it takes for people to board coaches at each stop on the Kew Road and, if so, will you publish those figures?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor’s Question 2021/1313.

London Plan Changes - Tall Buildings

Navin Shah: The Secretary of State seems to have directed more control to local authorities over the definition, location and height of tall buildings based on the authority’s own policies. How does this allow ‘strategic’ control of tall buildings across London to ensure that they are not detrimental in respect of their location, height, quality of design and overall built/environmental impact on London?

The Mayor: The Secretary of State’s directed amendments to my new London Plan Policy D9 Tall Buildings do not change the intent of the policy. Boroughs will have to identify in their Local Plans where tall buildings can be built and through the Local Plan conformity process, I will be able to ensure that these locations are in general conformity with my London Plan.
In addition, I will still see referable applications for tall buildings, which are over 25m in height in the Thames Policy Area, or 150 metres in the City of London, or over 30m elsewhere in London. Through my powers I am able, as appropriate, to direct refusal on these applications or take over the application from the local planning authority or allow the local planning authority to determine the case themselves.

Kew Road (1)

Tony Arbour: Does TfL hold figures on how long it takes for people to board and alight from buses at each bus stop on the Kew Road and, if so, will you publish those figures?

The Mayor: The table in the attachment shows the average bus dwell times (in seconds) for each stop on Kew Road. The dwell times are shown as an average for the four-week period from 15 November to 12 December 2020, split out by working day (07:00-19:00) and weekend day (07:00-19:00).
While passengers boarding and alighting buses is relatively uniform because of the short hops made between stops, and the relatively small number of people getting on and off at each stop, this is less so for coaches. This is because passenger numbers and miles travelled vary enormously, along with the time taken to stow or pick up large items of luggage. When coaches stop, unlike local buses, all passengers will often be getting off at the same time. TfL does not hold this kind of data though, but coaches will pick up and set down passengers as efficiently as they can in line with restrictions applying at those locations.

The Mayor: 1313 - Kew Road (1) Attachment Kew Road dwell time.docx

Riverlinx consortium contract with TfL for the Silvertown Tunnel Project

Caroline Pidgeon: Prior to Transport for London completing the contract for the Riverlinx consortiumto design, build, finance and maintain the Silvertown Tunnel please set out in detail what briefings and information you received about the estimated costs of cancelling the project.

The Mayor: I have been kept briefed about the Silvertown Tunnel scheme through my regular meetings with the TfL Commissioner and other TfL officers.
The decision to award the contract was taken by TfL’s Programmes and Investment Committee meeting on 9 May 2019. Committee agendas and papers are published on TfL’s website as you know, and further information has recently been provided to the GLA Oversight Committee. The termination provisions in the contract followed standard market practice for contracts of this type.
I would like to reiterate that TfL has no intention of cancelling this contract. Such conjecture is damaging to TfL’s relationships with its supply chain and to general market confidence.

Violence Reduction Unit Parenting networks

Unmesh Desai: Please provide details of the parenting networks set up by the violence reduction unit including the boroughs these are based in, the number of participating parents and the nature of their work.

The Mayor: The VRU allocated funding equally across London’s boroughs to develop parent/carer champion networks delivered by VCS organisations. The focus are parents/carers of adolescent children who may be at risk of/have experienced serious violence, exploitation and/or grooming; or parents who need support navigating the education, criminal justice or social care system(s). The networks are targeted to meet an identified support need, such as of a community demographic or ward area.
Parent/Carer Champions have local knowledge of the agencies, organisations and general barriers to accessing support. The VCS organisation train and provide ongoing support to the champions. Per borough, there are up to 15 trained parent champions, aiming to reach 50 parents/carers.
Networks are based in Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent, Bromley, Camden, Ealing, Hackney, Hammersmith & Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Islington, Royal borough of Kensington & Chelsea, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond, Kingston, Southwark, Sutton, Waltham Forest and Westminster.

Hate crime surge

Unmesh Desai: Please outline what steps are being taken by MOPAC with partners to prevent another surge in racist hate crimes, as was seen last summer, as we now begin to exit current lockdown arrangements.

The Mayor: We know that hate crime spikes can be driven by national or international events and increases in hate crime, especially racism, were seen following the pandemic and lockdown. Much of this has taken place at a neighbourhood level, where neighbourhood disputes spill over into racial abuse. To provide reassurance to those targeted by hate crime and monitor broader community tensions, the MPS has developed reassurance and preventative policing plans in all BCUs. These plans support Neighbourhood Policing Teams to respond to any increase in hate incidents.
We have also seen an increase in online racist hate driven by the pandemic and as a response to coverage of the Black Lives Matter movement. Our online hate crime hub initiative launched in 2017 has ensured the police now have the skills to respond to hate crime wherever it occurs.
I have uplifted and extended the funding for specialist services for hate crime victims for when hate crime does occur and, through my Shared Endeavour Fund, I have invested £400,00 to support civil society groups in delivering over 30 projects across London tackling racism, hate, intolerance and extremism.

Community engagement in planning

Tony Devenish: Do you agree with the suggestion by Centre for London, in its “Public Planning” manifesto, that you should publish a Mayoral Statement of Community Involvement and establish a Mayoral Community Advocates scheme to help improve public engagement in the planning system?

The Mayor: My London Plan sets the standard for effective community involvement as the very first principle of Good Growth. Over 4,000 consultation responses were received to the London Plan which is founded on shared ideas and open discussion. Talk London, the online community set up so City Hall can hear from Londoners about key issues, is recognised in the Centre for London report. The report also recognises the success of our area-based engagement, exemplified in recent work on the Royal Docks and Beckton Opportunity Area Planning Framework. I also introduced transparency in the planning application process by requiring open-book viability assessments.
But we want to go further. I recognise that there are still barriers to participation and we will do more to ensure that London is shaped by a more representative range of voices.
Increasingly we’re looking to the opportunities of digital, for people to have their say and be able to access data and information as never before. For example, we’ve launched the Planning London Datahub which provides free access to planning data across the capital.
Now my Plan is published, I’ll be looking at how to secure inclusive growth and further improve engagement, and this will include consideration of the recommendations from Centre for London.

Toxic Air Pollution (3)

Susan Hall: By how much do you expect the risk of Londoners developing asthma, cancer or dementia to have been reduced by the end of 2021, since your injection of £23m into the van scrappage fund?

The Mayor: Please see my response to2021/1249.

Anonymous pay-as-you-go phones

Keith Prince: HMICFRS recently called for a ban on anonymous pay-as-you-go phones. Is this something you support in London?

The Mayor: HMICFRS published its review, “The Police and NCA’s response to vulnerable people in ‘county lines’ drug offending”, in January 2020. Inspectors found that safeguards such as those within the financial services industry, requiring legal documents to open bank accounts, do not exist around mobile communications and services.
HMICFRS recommended that the Home Office review criminal abuse of mobile telecommunications services, including whether the regulatory environment within which the mobile telecommunications industry operates should be strengthened to reduce criminal abuse.
I await the Home Office response to this recommendation with interest.

Use of Fingerprint Scanners in the Met (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: Please confirm whether officers in the Met continue to carry biometric fingerprint scanners? If yes, is it correct that any officer is able to scan someone’s fingerprints off the street and check their immigration status against the Home Office’s records? Following the Windrush Scandal, in which there were clear errors in Home Office data, are you comfortable with this taking place on London’s streets?

The Mayor: The MPS does use biometric fingerprint scanners but these are not personal issue, with only 668 in use. Officers who have completed the training are able to search (subject to legal power being present) a subject’s fingerprints on the mobile device to see if they are known to the IDENT1 (Criminal) or IABS (Immigration) databases. If there is a positive match on the IABS database, officers must then contact the Immigration Enforcement national command and control unit to check on that person’s immigration status in the UK.
I strongly oppose the Government’s hostile environment. The Windrush Generation and many others still at risk from the same policies that led to the Windrush Generation experiencing discrimination, destitution, and deportation. The inhumanity of that system – and a pandemic of structural racism – continues to blight our society and harm our communities.

Temporary Road Bridge (2)

Tony Devenish: If the Ritblat/Foster/COWI proposed Temporary Road Bridge has not been approved, when is a decision expected?

The Mayor: Please see my answer to Mayor’s Question 2021/1328.

Temporary Road Bridge (1)

Tony Devenish: Has the Ritblat/Foster/COWI proposed Temporary Road Bridge (TRB) received TfL's approval?

The Mayor: Hammersmith & Fulham Council has commissioned Foster / COWI to assess the option of a temporary ‘bridge within a bridge’. I understand their feasibility report will be finalised shortly.
While Transport for London’s (TfL’s) officers have met with Foster / COWI during the production of their feasibility work, any approvals would need to be provided by the local authorities and not TfL.

The London Plan and electric charging points

Caroline Pidgeon: Further to your answers to questions 2019/19622 and 2020/2117 please provide an update to your past replies as to when the public will be able to access information to provide assurances that the London Plan is being fully implemented in relation to the policies relating to the provision of electric charging points.

The Mayor: Further to the previous responses, I can confirm that the Planning London Datahub is due to go live in the week commencing 15th March 2021.
This includes planning application data which has been collected since November 2020 for all new planning applications. The majority of the data will be available from the 16th March 2021, with the remainder becoming available over following weeks. GLA officers are currently working on pulling together historic data sets which will enable further analysis of the effectiveness of the implementation of the Plan.

Rail Clear Air Zone

Murad Qureshi: The first rail Clear Air Zone was created around Marylebone station in 2018. When can we expect further rail Clear Air Zones to be created around other London terminus rail stations?

The Mayor: The “Clean Air Zone” at Marylebone Station was a joint initiative between BNP Paribas, Airlabs, Chiltern Railways and JCDecaux that installed air filtration inside advertising units within the station with the aim of emitting cleaner air in the area immediately around the units. The scheme was announced in October 2018, and an additional 1 year of funding announced in October 2019.
My policies such as the Low Emission Zone for heavy vehicles and the Ultra Low Emission Zone for all vehicles are creating sustained, and sustainable, improvements in air quality by tackling pollution at source. When the ULEZ expands in October 2021 all of London’s major rail termini, including Marylebone, will be inside the zone.
My action to improve cycling and walking infrastructure as well as clean up London’s buses and taxis mean that rail travellers can more easily access stations by sustainable modes, reducing their impact on local pollution.
Network Rail has recently published its Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy, which seeks to set out options for removing diesel trains from the network over the next c. 30 years, which will have a beneficial impact on stations like Marylebone. All of Transport for London’s owned and operated rail services are already powered by electricity.

Silvertown Tunnel

Caroline Pidgeon: Have the full costs of the Silvertown Tunnel been made public?

The Mayor: The costs of the scheme have regularly been published in line with Transport for London’s standard reporting on its investment programme. Please also see my response to MQ 2021/0994.

London housing data survey and analysis (2)

Siân Berry: In your answer to my question 2020/4314 you told me that your officers have not produced an equivalent analysis on the accessibility of existing homes to that done through the English Housing Survey (EHS) and the detailed data required to do so is not yet available.
Is that data now available, and if so, will your team be carrying out a similar analysis at the London level?

The Mayor: This data is not yet available. GLA officers have contacted the English Housing Survey team at the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government to ask when it can be expected.

Requiring worker rights for companies licensed or contracted by GLA bodies

Caroline Russell: Now that Uber drivers have had their rights as workers affirmed by the Supreme Court, will you take action to require all companies licensed or contracted with by Greater London Authority bodies to recognise the rights of their workers in line with this ruling?

The Mayor: As I make clear in MQ2021/0999, I welcome the Supreme Court’s ruling on this matter.
I am committed to embed fair and inclusive employment practices throughout our supply chains through the application of the GLA Group Responsible Procurement Policy. I encourage all our contracted suppliers and, indeed, any employer in London to sign up to my Good Work Standard.

Ineffectual shared ownership

Siân Berry: In the findings of your research into intermediate housing, respondents said that they: “felt that shared ownership (SO) is not an effective way to tackle the issue of housing within London. […] it doesn’t get to the root of the problem – a lack of supply of housing which forces up prices and creates a situation in which many people cannot afford to rent, let alone buy.” How will your housing and planning policies change in response to these findings?

The Mayor: The quote referenced in the question is an example of one theme of Londoners’ perceptions of London’s housing challenge and does not reflect the views of all respondents The Mayor’s Consultation on Intermediate Housing demonstrates that intermediate housing, in particular shared ownership, provides an important role in enabling housing providers to deliver homes that meet the housing need of a diverse range of Londoners and also provide cross-subsidy for Social Rent homes.
The Mayor’s priority is to build more homes overall in London, but focusing on homes at Social Rent levels, for which there is the most acute housing need. Over half of the homes delivered under the Affordable Homes Programme 2021-2026 will be Social Rent homes.
The Mayor’s funding for shared ownership supports the delivery of affordable housing in London. The 2017 Strategic Housing Market Assessment identifies a need for 11,869 intermediate homes each year between 2016 to 2041. Since 2016, the number of GLA-funded shared ownership homes started has increased from 3,394 in 2016/17 to 8,120 in 2019/20, and the number of GLA-funded Social Rent homes started has increased from 3 in 2016/17 to 7,156 in 2019/20.
The Mayor is also using his funding levers to improve the experience of shared owners. For example, there is a new expectation that shared ownership homes funded through the Affordable Homes Programme 2021-26 will offer 999-year leases, or the longest lease allowed by the headlease.

Expenses

Susan Hall: For each of the years Nov 16 to Oct 17, Nov 17 to Oct 18, Nov 18 to Oct 19 and Nov 19 to Oct 20, how much has been paid in expenses to staff across GLA bodies?

The Mayor: Below listed are the expenses paid to staff by each the functional bodies of the GLA between November 2016 and October 2020.
GLA
TFL
LLDC
OPDC
LFC
MOPAC
November 2016 – October 2017
£89,763
£1,514,282
£35,333
£4,136
£650,298
£7,741
November 2017 – October 2018
£88,994
£1,333,855
£30,027
£6,173
£644,413
£9,563
November 2018 – October 2019
£74,690
£1,465,577
£18,996
£9,247
£705,143
£17,145
November 2019 – October 2020
£199,891
£1,991,704
£36,266
£15,254
£559,726
£23,927

GLA Group Legal Fees (1)

Tony Devenish: Please provide a full breakdown of all fees paid to law firms across the GLA Family of organisations and the reasons for the fees since May 2016 to date?

The Mayor: Please see accompanying information about total fees paid annually to external law firms for the GLA bodies indicated. I am sure you will appreciate that a significant amount of work would be involved in producing information about the fees paid and why for each individual matter that external law firms have been instructed across the GLA group over the last four years, so that level of detail has not been provided here.
Legal work across the GLA group inevitably involves a significant volume of complex legal issues including in relation to major regeneration and infrastructure projects, general commercial and corporate matters, property, litigation and employment law. External support is engaged only where it is necessary for the effective management of the relevant organisation and external support is sourced from a panel of firms appointed after a competitive process. Across the GLA family legal costs are monitored and steps are taken to ensure, particularly in the current financial circumstances, that value for money is achieved from external lawyers including driving greater efficiencies through securing reduced fees.
When considering the attached information please also note the following:
· Figures are provided over financial years and the current financial year is provided up until 31 January 2021.
· In some cases legal costs incurred have been met by third parties, for instance in relation to the commercial development of property, or recovered following successful legal proceedings.
· Fees paid to law firms may include disbursements (i.e. the cost of experts, land registry fees etc).
· Figures are net of VAT.

The Mayor: 0230- GLA Group Legal fees (1).xlsx

GLA Group Legal Fees (2)

Tony Devenish: Is any work being undertaken across the GLA and its functional bodies to ensure in house resources are more fully utilised to mitigate the cost of fees paid to law firms?

The Mayor: Please see answer to MQ 2021/0230.

Fitness and Competence of Bus Operator and Unite the Union Safety Representatives implementing and monitoring Covid-19 Risk Reduction Actions during Pandemic

Keith Prince: Following up your responses to Questions 2020/3659, 2020/2541, 2020/2119, and 2020/1623, did TfL request that its Bus Operators and Unite the Union provide the names and CVs of any of the Bus Operator and Unite the Union representatives TfL executives contacted ‘in regular telephone calls’ to ensure Covid-19 Risk Reduction Actions were being carried out competently in Depots and on Buses? If such information was ever requested and provided, could you provide me with an anonymised version of it?

The Mayor: London’s bus operators are ultimately responsible for the health, safety and wellbeing of their staff as well as the safe operation of their depots and buses. Transport for London (TfL) works collaboratively with operators to advise and support them in ensuring best practice and has also provided insight through independent research by University College London, to help mitigate risk and manage the pandemic. From this regular dialogue, TfL is confident operators are undertaking their activities as envisaged.
TfL health and safety managers continue to assist their counterparts at bus garages as much as possible through regular conference calls so that the key requirements of a physical visit are covered. At garages, there are also designated health and safety union representatives who are employees of the bus operators. They work with the operator’s health and safety managers and have had formal safety training, giving an additional level of assurance that Public Health England guidance is being followed. Employee data is protected by the employer, and TfL does not hold details of CVs of these workers.

TfL’s ‘scaling back’ on Physical Site Visits and Bus Driver Covid-19 Deaths

Keith Prince: Following up your response to Question 2020/3659, do you accept that TfL’s decision to ‘scale back on physical site visits at the height of the lockdown’ might contribute to why ONS Data shows that the death rate of London Bus Drivers is twice that of UK Bus Drivers?

The Mayor: Every death from coronavirus is a tragedy and my thoughts remain with the friends and families of our colleagues who have died. We will continue to do everything possible to protect bus drivers.
However, I do not accept that the reduction in the number of physical visits by TfL staff would have contributed to an increase in the number of bus driver deaths.
The first phase of the research undertaken by University College London was clear that the majority of bus driver deaths resulted from infection before the first lockdown began, when the prevalence of the virus in London was much higher than the rest of the country. The study also confirmed that lockdown was the most effective measure for reducing mortality among bus drivers.
As described in my answer to MQ 2020/3659, Transport for London scaled-back on physical visits at the height of lockdown in accordance with the prevailing Government advice. At a fundamental level, it stands to reason that minimising the number of people on any particular site, at any particular time, was and is both a significant mitigation, and a pragmatic one.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) data for COVID deaths by occupation was not broken down by region and, as the ONS website makes clear, comparisons should not be made using their data with data published elsewhere. Nevertheless, in the first phase of the pandemic, London bus drivers were worse affected than those in other areas. This is for a number of reasons, including the extent to which the first wave of COVID hit London very hard, the high numbers of older bus drivers and the high proportion of drivers from a black and ethnic minority background in London.

Missing Plenary Meetings

Tony Devenish: You have now failed to attend all five of the London Assembly Plenary meetings on the economy and covid recovery in a row. Why are you undermining both the office of Mayor of London and the body which holds the Mayor to account?

The Mayor: Since becoming Mayor, I’ve attended 50 Mayor’s Question Time meetings and 23 plenary meetings. I’ve responded to over 22,500 Mayor’s Questions, and made over 300 commitments following exchanges with Assembly Members.
I am unfortunately not able to attend every meeting of the London Assembly – when I am unable to attend I always do my best to ensure that I am represented by one of my Deputy Mayors or another member of my senior team.

Vacant public land in Marylebone

Tony Devenish: We are hugely grateful for the way NHS London has led the fight against Covid. However, can you please revisit MQT response 2018/2420 of 18th September 2018? Land banking of a semi derelict hospital site, the former Samaritan Hospital on prime land on the Marylebone Road, illustrates NHS inertia at its worst. This site could be back in use by now. Do you have plans to help the NHS unlock this asset with timescales?

The Mayor: The former Samaritans Hospital building supports the adjacent Western Eye Hospital which remains a fully operational 24/7 eye hospital. The future of the site is related to the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust redevelopment programme which is included within the national NHS 40 New Hospitals Programme. Discussions are on-going between the Trust and the New Hospital Programme Team regarding the timing of the programme.
The Senior Responsible Officer for the New Hospital Programme Team has been invited to present to the London Estates Board on the 18th March 2021 where clarity will be sought about the timing and phasing of the programme.
Through the London Estates Delivery Unit (LEDU) I have been working with the NHS to deliver much needed affordable homes on NHS land that is surplus to requirements. The St Ann’s Hospital and North Middlesex University Hospital sites will together deliver more than 1,000 new homes with 60% and 50% affordable homes respectively, including homes designated for NHS key workers.

Affordable homes (3)

Tony Devenish: Do you think Londoners will believe that you are making sufficient use of the £4bn government funding in your affordable housing programme 2021-26, in planning to build just 35,000 affordable homes?

The Mayor: Yes. My written answer to MQ 2021/1320 sets out for Londoners the rationale for why we have agreed a 35,000 home target under the new Affordable Homes Programme 2021-2026.

Arrests at protests held during coronavirus lockdowns

Siân Berry: Could you provide data showing the number of arrests under coronavirus legislation, as well as the number of attendees, during each of the main protests in 2020 in central London held in support of a) Black Lives Matter, b) Extinction Rebellion, and c) Groups opposing coronavirus measures?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) does not record the number of attendees for protests. The number of arrests under the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations 2020 breaches during each of the main protests in 2020 as follows:
Protest
Total Arrests
Arrests for Health Protection regulations 2020 breaches
Black Lives Matter (BLM) – (May – Jun 2020)
281
19
Extinction Rebellion (XR) (May, Aug – Sep 2020)
681
35
Anti-Lockdown / Anti-Vax protest (May - Nov 2020)
374
351
Please note no protest is the same and the conditions imposed for each protest may vary in accordance with the government guidance at the time.
Further, if people were arrested for multiple offences, including Coronavirus breaches, the arrests would be recorded under the more substantive offence. For example, if an individual was arrested for Public Order related offences and Coronavirus related offences, the MPS would record the incident as public order and not as a Coronavirus breach.

Low Emission Zone PCNs

Tony Devenish: 55% of LEZ PCNs are issued to foreign registered vehicles. Do you recognise that this is an unacceptably high figure and will you introduce a target of reducing this figure to less than 10% within 12 months?

The Mayor: TheLondon-wideLow Emission Zone(LEZ)standards for heavy vehicles were tightened on the 1 March 2021.Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs), buses and coaches must now meet Euro VI (NOx and PM) emissions standards or pay a daily charge of up to £300. Thesenewstandardsapplytoheavy vehiclesacross most of Greater Londonandmatch theemissionstandardsof the central London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).
The tougher LEZ is already having an impact, with new data showing compliance with the new standards is in excess of 90 per cent, compared to around 70 per cent in May 2019.
The tough rules apply equally to non-UK vehicles and any foreign-registered vehicles which meet the LEZ emissions standards must register with TfL before driving within the zone to avoid incurring any penalty charge. If a compliant vehicle isn’t registered and incurs a penalty it will be cancelled.
There are some 157,000 vehicles registered with Transport for London (TfL) and TfL continues to receive registrations from non-UK operators.
TfL does not set targets for the number of penalties issued to foreign vehicles but takes a fair and consistent approach to enforcing its schemes. Enforcement of PCNs against foreign registered vehicles is an issue for all highway authorities as there is no legislation which enables effective data sharing between European vehicle licensing agencies. TfL has contractors that seek to recover money from fines issued to non-UK vehicles. These contractors continue to work to increase access to European vehicle registration databases and the provision of accurate vehicle information to aid this recovery.

Meetings with NHS London

Tony Devenish: How many times have you met with the NHS England Regional Director for London Sir David Sloman since the start of the pandemic?

The Mayor: I meet with Sir David Sloman regularly to discuss the impact of the pandemic on the NHS and subsequent recovery. Since April 2020 I have spoken with senior NHS representatives either weekly or fortnightly, depending on the severity of the situation in London.
Sir David Sloman and I are also standing members of the London Health Board and London Transition Board where issues relating to the pandemic are discussed.

COVID-19 Vaccinations in London

Tony Devenish: What actions have you personally taken to boost the COVID-19 vaccination rollout and take-up rate in London?

The Mayor: The Government’s original distribution formula meant that London missed out on its early fair share of the vaccine. I repeatedly called on the Government to scale up the vaccine supply in London, and following positive meetings with the Minister for COVID Vaccine Deployment, was assured that London would get an uplift in vaccine supply.
We continue to work with partners across London to deliver high-profile campaigns to encourage Londoners to get the vaccine when they are eligible. Sharing information about the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine, particularly among communities expressing higher amounts of hesitancy will be vital in ensuring everyone gets the vaccine who needs it.
I am using a range of communications channels to share this life saving information. This has included a joint op-ed in the Observer with the Vaccines Minister, a number of media rounds with community media, and an interview on GMB on vaccine hesitancy.  I am are also using social media to shared targeted messages, advertising across the TfL network (DLR, tube posters), and radio advertising across stations that reach the most hesitant communities. We continue to work in partnership with NHS, PHE, and civil society organisations to run “Big Conversation” townhall events which bring together ethnic minority and faith communities and communities of shared interests together with health experts to have an open discussion about the vaccine and to answer any questions.
I have had the vaccine myself and used the opportunity to reassure Londoners about its safety. I have also visited a number of vaccination sites, to speak with NHS staff and volunteers who have worked incredibly hard and to encourage Londoners to get their vaccination when they are offered it.

Ventilation on public transport

Caroline Pidgeon: To mitigate transmission of Covid-19 and to improve public confidence in the use of public transport what steps are TfL taking to investigate greater ventilation on all forms of public transport. Has TfL undertaken any investigation of the technology operated by CleanAir Spaces operating on the Panama City subway?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) regularly reviews the latest Government, Public Health England and SAGE guidance, best practice advice from heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) industry bodies, and other relevant research to better understand how ventilation can be used as a mitigating factor against the transmission of the coronavirus.
All of TfL’s existing ventilation systems in both public and non-public areas, vehicles and buildings – and across all transport modes – have been reviewed against the currently available advice. This has resulted in changes being made to infrastructure where required (for example, changes made to bus drivers’ cabs). TfL will be further improving air flow onboard buses by fitting a new part to windows to keep them permanently open.
TfL has considered whether a number of new, emerging, re-purposed technologies (such as the use of CO2 sensors, ultraviolet light lamps, HEPA filters and portable air purifiers) might deliver potential benefits if used in conjunction with existing ventilation infrastructure. So far, these have all been discounted as either impractical to implement or of little additional value. TfL has not specifically considered the technology operated by CleanAir spaces on the Panama subway.
Although ventilation has been identified as a key factor in mitigating the risk of coronavirus, particularly in indoor spaces, the prevailing advice is that it should be used alongside other mitigations, such as the wearing of face coverings, social distancing, sanitisation of surfaces, effective communication, and hand hygiene, all of which TfL is encouraging, and where appropriate mandating, on its services.

Toxic Air Pollution (1)

Susan Hall: By how much do you expect your £23m van scrappage scheme to reduce toxic air pollution in London by the end of 2021, in comparison to when it was launched?

The Mayor: I have allocated £48m for scrappage schemes which support low income and disabled Londoners, small businesses and charities to switch to cleaner vehicles and greener forms of transport.The objective of the scheme is to mitigate the financial impact of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).
To date my scrappageschemefor vans and minibuseshas supportedthescrapping of over 4,700 vehicles, helping small businesses and charitiesprepare for theULEZ.We are in the process of analysing the anticipated air quality impacts ofourscrappage schemes andwillshare thatdata as soon as it is available.
The scheme was suspended to van owners on 28 August 2020 due to unprecedented demand and limited funding. Eligible charities may still apply for the grant, given their vital role in our communities, especially in the current pandemic.
However, in addition to the £48 million, Irecentlyprovidedan additional £4.2mto enable the extremely popular scrappage schemes tosupport more small businesses, low income and disabled Londonersand deliverfurther air qualitybenefits in London.

Toxic Air Pollution (2)

Susan Hall: By how much do you expect premature deaths to have been reduced in London by the end of 2021, since the introduction of your £23m van scrappage fund?

The Mayor: I have allocated £48m for scrappage schemes which support low income and disabled Londoners, small businesses and charities to switch to cleaner vehicles and greener forms of transport.The objective of the scheme is to mitigate the financial impact of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).
To date my scrappageschemefor vans and minibuseshas supportedthescrapping of over 4,700 vehicles, helping small businesses and charitiesprepare for theULEZ.We are in the process of analysing the anticipated air quality impacts ofourscrappage schemes andwillshare thatdata as soon as it is available.
The scheme was suspended to van owners on 28 August 2020 due to unprecedented demand and limited funding. Eligible charities may still apply for the grant, given their vital role in our communities, especially in the current pandemic.
However, in addition to the £48 million, Irecentlyprovidedan additional £4.2mto enable the extremely popular scrappage schemes tosupport more small businesses, low income and disabled Londonersand deliverfurther air qualitybenefits in London.

Affordable homes (2)

Tony Devenish: Could you please explain the reason for the huge drop in affordable homes to be provided in your second government-funded affordable housing programme 2021-26, with just 35,000 homes provided with £4bn of funding? Can you explain your recent comments that this is due to Brexit and cladding issues?

The Mayor: London’s housing targets and funding are agreed with Ministers at the start of every programme. The 35,000 target was accepted by Government as realistic and deliverable with the available funding.
Grant levels in the previous Affordable Homes Programme were historically low, covering just 10-er15 per cent of the cost of a new affordable home compared to around 40 per cent % in 2010 and around 75 per cent in the early 1990s. I believe it is right for City Hall to offer higher grant rates in the new programme. A majority of homes built will be social rented homes, which require more grant to be viable, and deliver the lowest possible cost to the tenant.
Since 2016 there has also been significant build cost inflation as a result of currency devaluation, availability of materials, Brexit, and shortages of skilled construction labour. These have increased faster than rental revenues, leaving a larger gap between costs and income which needs to be filled by additional grant funding. Our partners are also having to divert their own funding away from new development and into cladding remediation, as social tenants’ homes are excluded from the Building Safety Fund.
I continue to call on Government to increase the grant London receives to build affordable housing.

Spending on Cycling

Alison Moore: Following MQ 2020/0639 can you provide figures for 2020/21 and 2021/22 now a financial settlement with Government has been agreed?

The Mayor: For 2020/21, Transport for London (TfL) invested £112m in cycling (compared with £147m in 2019/20). TfL had to stop almost all of the large cycleway schemes that were in-process in April 2020, and has only been able to restart some of these recently due to funding constraints. Innovative delivery methods in the London Streetspace programme have delivered a large number of cycling kms efficiently using temporary materials – including some projects that had previously been consulted upon. While budgets have been reduced, delivery has been strong, albeit these new kilometres of new and improved cycle facilities remain temporary and will need to be considered for further investment if they are to be made permanent at a later date. TfL’s record levels of revenue in the Cycle Hire scheme have also contributed to this reduction in net costs.
For 2021/22, TfL is still in negotiation with Government and until a funding agreement is secured it cannot give an update on cycling spending for this financial year.

TfL PR (3)

Shaun Bailey: How many people does TfL employ who work in external communications, marketing, public relations and PR and what was their total salary costs for 2019/20?

The Mayor: Transport for London’s (TfL’s) Customer, External Relations and Press Office teams play a crucial role in keeping London moving.
These teams worked tirelessly over the last year and demonstrated their critical role in responding to coronavirus, ensuring TfL’s passengers are kept informed of changes to its services and are aware of the need to comply with the latest Government guidance. Please see MQ 2019/12296 to see examples of other work these teams cover.
They also support the requirements of TfL’s political stakeholders, including London Assembly Members, and ensure TfL can respond to scrutiny and provide information in a timely way. For example, in the year to 30 April 2020, TfL received 1,395 cases from Assembly Members, their staff and Assembly party groups. This is in addition to many thousands of correspondence cases from MPs, Peers, Ministers, Councillors and others. The direct relationship with national Government has intensified hugely as a result of the pandemic, and the Assembly’s scrutiny of TfL’s activity has redoubled which, while understandable, is resource intensive.
The number of people deployed across these activities, and their associated staff costs, is at its lowest level on record, as part of TfL’s work to reduce back and middle office costs by 30 per cent.
The table below shows the TfL employees and staff costs for 2019/20 laid out as in MQ 2019/12296. The Customer and Revenue directorate includes Research, Design, Publishing and Commercial Media - of the 160.9 employees in Customer and Revenue, only 28.9 work in Marketing.
Directorate
2019/20 FTE
2019/20 Staff Costs £
Customer and Revenue
160.9
13,410,712
Press Office
25.6
1,995,114
External Relations
38.2
2,485,122
Local Communities and Partnerships
48.8
3,166,366
TOTAL
273.5
21,057,315

Violence Reduction Unit Youth Workers

Unmesh Desai: Please provide details of the total number of Youth Workers trained by the Violence Reduction Unit since its creation, and where these workers are based.

The Mayor: My Violence Reduction Unit is prioritising investment to those who hold key trusted relationships with young people most at risk of exploitation and violence. Frontline youth workers have the relationships with young people to deliver early interventions that can make all the difference to a young person’s future.
‘Rise Up’ launched in September 2020 and is led by London Youth in partnership with Leap Confronting Conflict and Clore Social Leadership. 94 practitioners representing organisations across 27 boroughs are currently receiving training including on safeguarding, mental health and employment opportunities - to act as a community-led first line of defence for young people most at risk.
The VRU also funded the Social Switch Project which is co-delivered by Catch22 and Redthread and has trained 193 practitioners over the last year. Social Switch was set up to address the increasing violence young people were encountering online, which often leads to violence offline.

TfL Public Affairs & External Relations Spending

Shaun Bailey: How many people did Transport for London employ who worked in Public Affairs & External Relations for the previous 5 years broken down by year and what was the cost of this?

The Mayor: The below table covers Transport for London (TfL) employees working across Public Affairs and External Relations. The Local Communities and Partnerships team was established in December 2017, bringing together employees from Behaviour Change, embedded External Relations teams and other transfers.
The number of people in these teams, and their associated staff costs, is at its lowest level on record, as part of TfL’s work to reduce back and middle office costs by 30 per cent.
2015/16
2016/17
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
Public Affairs & External Relations FTE*
39.3
51.3
45.7
34.6
38.2
Local Communities and Partnerships FTE
201.3
162.6
162.6
55.5
48.8
Total
240.6
213.9
208.3
90.1
87
2015/16
2016/17
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
Public Affairs & External Relations Staff Costs £
2,722,801
3,273,378
3,593,110
3,330,922
2,485,122
Local Communities and Partnerships Staff Costs** £
3,326,628
3,166,366

TfL’s Zero Carbon Power Purchase Agreement

Leonie Cooper: What progress is being made by Transport for London and their Zero Carbon Power Purchase Agreement?

The Mayor: I’m pleased to say that Transport for London (TfL) has made good progress in devising and agreeing its strategy to transition to renewable energy via Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) to enable the goal of running a zero carbon railway by 2030. The strategy was agreed at TfL’s Finance Committee in September 2020. A further paper to the Committee on 25 November set out the procurement process and timeframe for the first two PPAs, which will see 20 per cent of TfL’s electricity supply being sourced directly from renewable energy. Procurement for the first PPA will commence in April 2021 and has a target supply date of March 2022. The second will be issued to market during the summer for supply during the financial year 2023/24. Together, these contracts will represent a major step towards meeting my ambition for TfL-controlled rail services to be zero carbon by 2030.
In parallel, the GLA Group is actively developing plans for a wider switch to renewables including an innovative financing solution to fund the building of new renewable assets, underwritten by GLA Group power demand. This will be launched in conjunction with TfL’s second PPA procurement in the summer. If successful, this financing solution would be used to support the GLA Group-wide transition to renewable power.

Mayor’s Good Growth Fund (5)

Susan Hall: Since the second round of the Mayor’s Good Growth Fund in 2018, has 20,000 square metres of new industrial space in Barking, as a means of supporting local jobs, been delivered?

The Mayor: The Industrial project (known as Intensifying Barking’s Industry) has recently secured planning permission (Feb 2021), following which the local authority has entered into a pre-construction Services Agreement.
Construction is set to start later this year with an estimated opening in Autumn 2022. The project is well on its way to supporting the delivery of stacked commercial business space in line with original approvals and for the benefit of local businesses. Once finalised, an estimated 230-250 people will be employed on site.

Mayor's Office Press Officers

Susan Hall: How much money has the Mayor’s office spent on press officers each year since May 2016?

The Mayor: Under Section 67 (2) of the GLA Act 1999, the Mayor may appoint 13 staff. All other staff at the GLA are appointed by the Head of Paid Service, under the HoPS protocol.
The Mayor’s Office does not employ any Press Officers. All the current Press Officers at the GLA are HoPS appointees.
Please see figures provided for GLA Group Press Officer Numbers - Question No: 2021/0135.
The GLA figures include staff working in both the Mayor’s Press Office and in the Assembly Secretariat.

Over 75s TV License

Tony Devenish: Do you condemn the scrapping of the free TV license for over 75s by the BBC and how many Londoners are expected to suffer from this decision?

The Mayor: TV licences should be free for people aged 75 and over, and scrapping them was not the right thing to do. This is especially true at this time when the TV is critical for providing older people, particularly those who are shielding, with information, company and entertainment.
I want to be clear, though, that this was a Government decision, and the Government should be funding the free licences – they should not make the BBC foot the bill.
The TV licence is still free if people are claiming Pension Credit. Of the nearly 500,000 Londoners who are aged 75 and over, around 110,000 are claiming Pension Credit and still eligible for a free TV licence.
But there are over 120,000 Londoners who are entitled to Pension Credit who are not claiming it. I have written to tens of thousands of older Londoners to encourage them to claim their entitlements.

Cladding Question Time for London

Andrew Dismore: Manchester Cladiators held a ‘Cladding Question Time’ for leaseholders with invited panellists including the Minister for Building Safety. Will you commit to organising a similar cladding question time for the thousands of London leaseholders caught up in the cladding scandal in order to bring their concerns directly to Government?

The Mayor: I am very grateful for the campaigning that leaseholders across the country have been doing since the tragedy at Grenfell. For the last three and half years, I have been supporting them by lobbying the Government for leaseholders to be protected from the costs of making their buildings safe.
I would be very supportive of campaigners in London holding a similar event. As you know, prior to the pandemic I was providing London leaseholders with a City Hall meeting room quarterly to allow them to organise. The Government must listen to the concerns of leaseholders and take decisive steps to ensure this crisis is resolved once and for all.

Hub for London’s Leaseholders

Andrew Dismore: The Fire, Resilience and Emergency Planning Committee’s report ‘Cladding crisis and its impact on Londoners’ recommended you provide a hub for London leaseholders and residents affected by cladding and fire safety issues to access legal advice and mental health support. In your response you said that the Homes for Londoners Board has called on the Government to review the role and remit of LEASE, that exists to support leaseholders with fire safety issues, and that you will continue to support leaseholders and residents impacted by the building safety crisis and lobby Government for essential change. Does this include the provision of a hub for London leaseholders and residents as recommended in the report?

The Mayor: I have called for the Government to review the role and remit of LEASE for leaseholders in unsafe buildings. Leaseholders must have access to the necessary support and legal advice they need at this distressing time. I would expect the review to draw out the exact form that LEASE should take in order to deliver this.

Vaccine passports

Andrew Dismore: What are your views about the utility of and introduction of ‘vaccine passports’?

The Mayor: The government is currently reviewing whether COVID-status certification could play a role in reopening the economy, reducing restrictions on social contact and improving safety. They are considering the role of both testing and vaccination in any certification process. They have now launched a consultation to hear views on any potential scheme.
We still don’t have comprehensive peer-reviewed data to say how much the vaccine reduces transmission, and therefore it is hard to fully understand the utility of a vaccine passport. There are also outstanding issues around verifying whether a person has had a vaccine, and the risk of potential discrimination that will need to be addressed.
I now await the outcome of the government review of the use of these COVID-status certificates.
In the meantime we continue to put all our efforts into ensuring the vaccine roll out is as effective as possible and encouraging all Londoners to take up the offer when it is their turn.

Ransomware

Tony Devenish: What practical steps have you taken over the last 5 years to combat a particular job destroying form of cybercrime, ransomware?

The Mayor: The London Digital Security Centre (LDSC) currently provides wide ranging advice to SME’s across London on a wide range of cyber threats including ransomware. The LDSC is part of Police Crime Prevention Initiatives Ltd which is wholly owned by the Mayoralty.
In addition, the GLA works closely with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which is the national agency responsible for guidance, mitigation and support against ransomware attacks. The GLA works with NCSC to ensure public services and businesses are aware of this support; in particular, the confidential forum for sharing intelligence about cyber threats and vulnerabilities in real time - the Cyber Security Information Sharing Partnership (CiSP).
Action Fraud, a service run by the City of London Police, is the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime.

Grenfell Tower Inquiry [1]

Andrew Dismore: As the FBU reports on twitter: “At the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, The manufacturers of Grenfell's flammable insulation, Kingspan, admitted to wrongly using a failed fire test to claim their products were safe. In 2013, 'desktop assessments' were introduced to prove products were safe to be installed on high-rise properties. But these ‘desktop assessments’ aren’t proper tests. They are only assessments that determine how safe a cladding system is *if* tested. Kingspan went onto use an insulation system that had **FAILED** a fire test to produce **29** of these ‘desktop assessments’.
The failed fire test was carried out by the once public Building Research Establishment (BRE), the industry regulator that became a profit-seeking private entity in 1997. Video evidence showed flames spread over the 8-metre rig in 43 minutes, a failed result. But, after receiving a complaint from Kingspan, the BRE issued a report which did not make clear the test had failed. This report was used by Kingspan as the basis for 29 ‘desktop assessments’ instead, allowing the company to mislead clients on the safety of its product.”
If the inquiry finds that this is an accurate interpretation of what Kingspan did, and how the BRE operates, does this not indicate that the industry regulator is not fit for purpose and should be replaced? Does it also show the folly of privatising regulators?

The Mayor: Evidence heard at the Grenfell Tower Inquiry so far has indeed brought into question the robustness of testing and governance measures in place at BRE. It is clear that wholesale change is needed. Ahead of the Inquiry findings and recommendations on this point, I believe all options should remain on the table, including steps by Government to ensure BRE has a clearer public interest role in enhancing building safety.
I have long called for the need for a more effective specification and testing regime for construction products with complete transparency allowing test results to be readily accessible by the public.

Grenfell Tower Inquiry [2]

Andrew Dismore: Does there need to be a review into all decisions made by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) into which materials are safe or not given the scandal over approval of flammable insulation? Do you have faith in the approvals granted by the BRE, and if not do you believe it is time to re-establish a public regulator?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Question 2020/1134.

Housing Floorspace in the Private Rented Sector

Nicky Gavron: A recent study from GLA Housing & Land called ‘An analysis of housing floorspace per person’ (Feb 2021) showed that housing floorspace in the private rented sector in London fell since the 1990s. Given the importance of health and wellbeing as well as the trends of home working, what scope have you got to mitigate this?

The Mayor: The housing quality and space standards set out in my London Plan require more space in new homes than the average private renter has, which only strengthens the case for increasing the number of new homes we build across London. We need more larger homes for overcrowded families to move into, and more one- and two-bedroom homes so that people currently living in house-shares or with their parents can move into a place of their own. In particular, we must build more social housing to accommodate private renters in housing need who would otherwise be unable to afford a suitably sized home.

Park Lane Pollution

Tony Devenish: I am receiving increasing numbers of complaints about pollution levels on Park Lane. What have been the average pollution levels for every month for the last year?

The Mayor: Local Air quality monitoring is the responsibility of the boroughs, in this case Westminster. Westminster do not currently have a monitor installed on Park Lane.
However, as part of the pilot phase of my Breathe London project I installed sensors on a side road adjoining Park Lane. The latest available annualised data from these sensors shows that for 2019 there were pollution levels of 43 ug/m3 along the corridor, and in 2020 these had reduced to 32 ug/m3. The full data sets from the pilot phase can be found online here: https://www.globalcleanair.org/data-to-action/london-uk/
Park Lane is also one of the central London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) boundary roads. There are four established air quality monitoring stations on the central London ULEZ boundary roads, and all of these have measured a continued downward trend in concentrations since 2017. No sites on the boundary roads have experienced an increase in the trend of monthly average NO2 since the scheme was introduced in April 2019. From October 2021 Park Lane will be within the extended ULEZ zone and will benefit further from higher emission standards.

Post-Covid London

Susan Hall: What aspects of London life would you like to see get back to normal first?

The Mayor: I welcome the publication of the Government’s roadmap – it’s good to see ministers finally learning from past mistakes and taking a cautious approach.
Working with businesses and London Councils, I’ve published a London-specific roadmap for the safe and full reopening of London’s economy.
In the short term we must support people and businesses before the economy fully reopens, which we know will not be before 21 June.
I have pledged £5 million to support the safe reopening of central London and am leading a campaign to attract visitors back to our retail, hospitality and cultural venues – as soon as it’s safe to do so.
In the medium to long term, the London Recovery Board is bringing together all of London’s major leaders to build a fairer, greener and more prosperous city.I hope the Government will come forward with a recovery plan to match the scale of the challenge.

Vaccines Equity Group

Onkar Sahota: Can you update me on the work of the Vaccines Equity Group?

The Mayor: The Vaccines Equity Group was set up as a task and finish group to scope the issues in order to support equitable COVID-19 vaccine deployment and uptake in London.
I now welcome the establishment of a specific hesitance and engagement group with senior leadership, which is tasked to understand and respond to vaccine hesitancy and barriers to access
This governance is being kept under review as the rollout of the vaccines continues

Deputy Mayor’s misleading statements to London Assembly on 11 September 2019

Keith Prince: Further to your response to Question 2020/4629: (a) on what exact date was the Deputy Mayor informed about the existence of IA 16767 and (b), since all the evidence files contained within your response to 2019/17340 were created on 14 February 2020, why did you not respond to Question 2019/17340 until 5 October 2020, over a year after the question was asked?

The Mayor: There is no note of the exact date that the Deputy Mayor for Transport was informed about the existence of IA 16 767, but it will have been in the first weeks of March 2020.
Mayor’s Question 2019/12001 sought “all communications concerning [the] circulation [of a draft] of Fatigue Audit IA 17 780 which was first sent to First Group on 11th July 2019” and First Group’s response.” Mayor’s Question 2019/17340 extended that request to “any emails between TfL Executives about Fatigue Audit IA 17780 sent between 19 May 2017 and 7 July 2017”.
I understand that Transport for London has apologised to you for the length of time it had taken to respond to your question. In order to respond in a proportionate way, an automated search was made of selected email accounts which were probable repositories of emails to which the request applied, for the period requested, using the search terms “fatigue” or “FirstGroup”. A considerable amount of TfL staff time was then spent in reviewing and sorting the extensive amount of material produced in those search results, identifying relevant emails and attachments, omitting duplicates and making the necessary GDPR-related redactions.

Fitness and Competence of Unite the Union Safety Representatives implementing and monitoring Covid-19 Risk Reduction Actions during the Pandemic

Keith Prince: In your responses to Questions 2020/3659, 2020/2541, 2020/2119 and 2020/1623 you have repeatedly underscored the important role of Unite the Union representatives ‘stood down from their normal duties’ by Bus Operators to ensure that Covid-19 Risk Reduction actions were being carried out and monitored in Bus Depots and on Buses. Given that ONS Data shows that the death rate from Covid-19 among TfL Bus Drivers is over twice that of UK Bus Drivers, what evidence does TfL have that (a) these Unite representatives were trained and competent to carry out the safety critical tasks they were ‘stood down’ for and/or (b) these Union representatives carried out these tasks at all?

The Mayor: I am not clear what datasets you are comparing to make the assertion that the death rate amongst London bus drivers is twice as high as that of bus drivers nationally. The ONS data for COVID deaths by occupation was not broken down by region and, as the ONS website makes clear, comparisons should not be made using their data with data published elsewhere. A sophisticated piece of statistical analysis would need to be carried out to make the assertions you are making.
I also do not accept that the role of the Trade Union representatives has in any way contributed to an increase in the number of bus driver deaths. The legal duty to ensure that each bus depot is a safe place to work rests entirely with the employer, not with Trade Union representatives. Formal assurance processes have been put in place by operators to ensure standards are adhered to. This has been supported, but not led by stood-down Trade Union representatives, giving an additional level of assurance that Public Health England guidance is being followed. Trade Union representatives work with the operator’s health and safety managers and have had formal safety training.
The first phase of the UCL research into the pattern of COVID deaths and infection amongst London’s bus drivers made clear that the majority of bus driver deaths resulted from infection before the first lockdown began, when the prevalence of the virus in London was much higher than the rest of the country. It also confirmed that lockdown was the most effective measure for reducing mortality among bus drivers.
I have left no stone unturned in the last year in my efforts to protect staff and customers on TfL services and I would like to thank the Trade Unions and Bus Operators for working tirelessly with TfL to improve safety for all of our frontline staff.

Deputy Mayors' officers

Susan Hall: Please provide a breakdown of the number of officers who work for each Deputy Mayor, including job titles, grades and political restriction status.

The Mayor: The question of the number of officers who work for each Deputy Mayor has been understood to mean those posts which are direct line reports to Deputy Mayors and/or are funded by the Mayor’s Office. An organisational chart which was previously shared with Assembly Member Hall has been attached to the response and the relevant posts marked in yellow.
The Deputy Mayor Policing and Crime and their direct reports are MOPAC employees and therefore are not included in the organisational chart attached. As the question requested the information for all Deputy Mayors this has been included.
Position
Direct reports - job title, grade and political restriction status
Deputy Mayor for Social Integration, Social Mobility and Community Engagement
Senior Advisor to the Deputy Mayor Social Integration, Social Mobility and Community Engagement - 1 FTE
Deputy Mayor Environment and Energy
Senior Advisor to the Deputy Mayor, Environment and Energy - 1 FTE
Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and Skills
Senior Advisor to the Deputy Mayor Planning, Regeneration and Skills - 1 FTE
Deputy Mayor for Culture and Creative Industries
Senior Advisor to the Deputy Mayor for Culture and Creative -1 FTE Industries,
Night Czar- 1 FTE
Deputy Mayor Fire and Resilience
Senior Advisor to the Deputy Mayor Fire and Resilience- 1 FTE
Position
Direct reports - job title, grade and political restriction status
Deputy Mayor Policing and Crime
Chief Executive Officer (MOPAC) - 1 FTE
Victims’ Commissioner - 0.8 FTE

The Mayor: 0729.docx

Immigration enforcement policy

Unmesh Desai: Please provide the criteria which must be met before a victim or witness’s data is shared with the Home Office.

The Mayor: The MPS prioritises the investigation of crime and protecting people from harm, which is in line with the guidance issued in 2020 by the National Police Chief’s Council which makes it clear that victims of domestic abuse should be treated as victims first and foremost.
The MPS does not routinely search police databases to establish immigration status. However, the MPS have some trained officers who under the right legal circumstances are able to take biometric fingerprints which does search both the Criminal and Immigration Status database. (see 2020/2128).
Where officers are made aware of an immigration offence it may be appropriate to share this with Immigration Enforcement. For instance, where an investigation reveals an individual is sought for an immigration offence.
I have been lobbying Government to ensure victims can come forward without fear of their immigration status being scrutinised. This is particularly important where a person’s immigration status is used to control persons and perpetuate abuse such as domestic abuse and modern slavery. I am seeking changes to the Domestic Abuse Bill currently going through Parliament to ensure survivors of VAWG can safely seek help irrespective of their immigration status. This position is supported by the findings from the HMICFRS report on safe reporting.

Housing Associations Buying Back Shared Ownership Shares to Help Those Unable to Sell or Move Because of the Cladding and Fire Safety Scandal

Caroline Pidgeon: Several well-respected individuals within the housing sector have suggested the benefits of a ‘Buy Back’ scheme for shared owners impacted by the cladding and fire safety scandal. Such a scheme would mean the housing associations that sold these properties on a shared ownership basis could buy the shares back from anyone who is struggling and unable to move due to the crisis. Given the number of shared owners impacted by the scandal in London is this something you will work with housing associations to explore?

The Mayor: The building safety crisis is underpinned by various systemic problems, ranging from the volume of buildings unsafely clad, to the sector’s capacity to conduct the work, and most importantly the Government’s failure to make sufficient funding available for remediation. The building safety crisis requires a multi-faceted approach, a key element of which must involve the Government ensuring that a funding solution is found which ensure that leaseholders – including shared ownership leaseholders – are not forced to bear the costs for a crisis they played no role in causing.
The funding I receive from central Government is to support the supply of new homes, through the Affordable Homes Programme. There is some provision to spend this funding on acquisitions, which could include buying market sale homes to convert to affordable. However, buying back existing affordable units would diminish my ability to meet our supply targets for the safe and affordable homes Londoners desperately need.

Youth unemployment [1]

Jennette Arnold: London’s youth unemployment has reached 22%. This is incredibly worrying. What are you doing to reduce this?

The Mayor: Supporting Londoners’ disproportionately impacted by the pandemic – including young people – is a key priority of my Budget for 2021-22. £516m revenue has been allocated to support recovery work, including the Missions agreed by the Recovery Board. This includes a range of projects that will help unemployed young Londoners, from personalised mentoring and workforce integration schemes through to careers support, sector-based training programmes and promotion of Good Work.
I have added new flexibilities to my Adult Education Budget (AEB) so that all Londoners that are unemployed or on low incomes can access fully funded Level 3 courses to help them upskill or retrain. Mayoral European Social Fund (ESF) programmes also include vital careers and jobs support for young people. In addition, I continue to promote Good Work and jobs through the GLA’s networks with key partners, including business, local authorities and job centres.

Progress Turning Beddington Farmlands into a Nature Reserve

Caroline Pidgeon: As part of the planning conditions for the Energy Recovery Facility in Sutton, Viridor is required to restore the adjacent landfill site on Beddington Farmlands to a nature reserve by 31 December 2023. There are serious concerns about progress on this commitment. Given the area forms part of the All London Green Grid and is recognised as a significant regional asset in the London Plan, and the planning permission required GLA sign off, will you join Sutton Council in putting pressure on Viridor to ensure they deliver the restoration on time and as promised?

The Mayor: The previous Mayor considered the planning application in August 2013 and planning permission for the facility was given by Sutton Council in 2013 conditional on the management plan for the restoration of Beddington Farmlands into a nature reserve being delivered.
The enforcement of planning conditions is the responsibility of the local planning authority and as Mayor of London I have no remit to enforce planning conditions. However, I strongly encourage Sutton to take the necessary and appropriate action to ensure Viridor restore the site and deliver the nature reserve it promised.

Developments with ‘Affordable’ Housing

Caroline Pidgeon: If a development’s affordable housing provision consists of only ‘intermediate’ forms of affordable housing and no social rented homes, does this affect the amount of funding the development receives from the GLA?

The Mayor: The Mayor is administering two Affordable Homes Programmes concurrently.
The Mayor’s London Plan 2021 stipulates that the affordable housing contribution on mixed-tenure residential developments should comprise at least 30 per cent low-cost rented homes, as either London Affordable Rent or Social Rent. Except in exceptional circumstances, where evidence demonstrates the threshold level of 35 per cent affordable housing cannot be met, the London Plan does not support developments where the affordable housing provision consists of only intermediate housing.
Partners will receive less funding for intermediate homes than if they are building homes for social rent. Within the Affordable Homes Programme 2016-2023, there are differential grant rates available depending on the tenure of affordable housing delivered, with higher grant rates available for low cost rent homes than for intermediate tenure homes.
Within the Affordable Homes Programme 2021-2026, the Mayor agreed with Government that over half of the homes delivered will be Social Rent homes. London Living Rent and shared ownership are the two intermediate tenures that will be funded under the AHP 21-26. The GLA is introducing negotiated grant rates for all projects under the new programme. As a result of this we would expect to pay lower grant rates for intermediate homes.

Developments with 36% or More Affordable Housing

Caroline Pidgeon: At present if a developer puts forward proposals with at least 36% affordable housing they do not have to provide a financial viability assessment. Can you clarify whether within this 36%+ of affordable housing developers are required to offer a mix of affordable housing and cannot simply put forward only so-called ‘intermediate’ forms of affordable housing. Do you insist that they must include at least some social rented homes, and if this is not the case, will you consider introducing this as part of the upcoming Affordable Housing Programme?

The Mayor: To follow the Fast Track Route and avoid submitting a financial viability assessment, applicants need to provide at least 35% affordable housing, as well as delivering the affordable homes tenure split required by my London Plan. This means providing a minimum of 30% low cost rent homes (social rent or London Affordable Rent), 30% intermediate homes, with the remaining 40% to be determined by the borough. The 40% should normally be low cost rent, however for some boroughs a broader mix of tenures may be appropriate. The Fast Track Route is also available where low cost rent homes are provided in place of intermediate housing.
Decisions regarding grant allocations through my Affordable Homes Programme 2021-26 are entirely separate to planning matters. However, I am pleased that through negotiations with the Government I’ve secured terms which mean that it will deliver a majority of homes as social rent, for which the evidence shows there is overwhelmingly the greatest level of need in London.

Central ULEZ and Air Quality

Leonie Cooper: Please provide an update on the impact of the Central ULEZ on air quality across London.

The Mayor: The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) has successfully helped to improve air quality across London and substantially reduce the number of Londoners living in areas exceeding legal limits for harmful NO2. In the first 10 months of the central London scheme (before the pandemic), the ULEZ had already delivered significant air quality benefits including contributing to a 44 per cent reduction in harmful roadside NO2 concentrations, a 27 per cent reduction in PM2.5 and is helping to fight the climate emergency through an estimated reduction in CO2 emissions of 6 per cent in the central zone. These improvementsin air quality were maintained even when lockdown restrictions were eased over the summer of 2020 and traffic levels increased to near pre-pandemic levels.
Further detail can be found in theULEZ Ten Month Report(April 2020), theAir Quality in London 2016-2020 report(October 2020) and the ULEZ 2020 Report (March 2021) published on the Greater London Authority website.

Youth Unemployment [2]

Jennette Arnold: London’s youth unemployment has reached 22%. This is incredibly worrying. What does London need from government to reduce this urgently?

The Mayor: We need the Government to take urgent action to deliver for young people. As stated in Mayor’s Question 2020/4496, my submission to the Comprehensive Spending Review outlined what I am seeking from the Government to support Londoners, including young people. My core ask – alongside the M9 group of Mayors – is a devolved, multi-year, single funding settlement to support integrated skills, work and education systems.
In the absence of a devolved package, I have urged the Government to double the Adult Education Budget (19+) to £640m in London, commit to continued devolved skills capital funding, and provide a guarantee to young people of high-quality training, apprenticeship, job opportunities, including setting the Kickstart wage subsidy at the real living wage.
I have also stressed that under the UK Shared Prosperity Fund all areas should receive at least as much funding as currently via EU and local programmes, and any further allocation should be based on a fair measure of need.

Mayor’s Good Growth Fund (4)

Susan Hall: Could you please confirm that two thirds of the second round of the Mayor’s Good Growth Fund in 2018 was invested in areas of London which ranked in the top 20% of the UK’s most deprived wards. Which wards were they and how have they since used the funding to alleviate severe levels of deprivation in their communities?

The Mayor: The Good Growth Programme has awarded projects that are located or operate within areas of London with high levels of multiple deprivation. We test the distribution of Good Growth Fund against the Indices of Multiple Deprivation, or IMD. This provides a range of indicators that include income deprivation, housing affordability, crime levels, access to local services and many other measures. In Round 2 of the Good Growth Fund, 44% of projects were in the 20% most deprived areas nationally. These projects received 57% of the total funding allocation. When we analyse GGF Round 2 allocations by income deprivation, 50% of projects and 59% of funding were allocated to the most income deprived areas nationally.
The tables below provide a list of projects within the top 20% most deprived wards by multiple deprivation and income deprivation.
GGF Round
Project name
LSOA identifier
LSOA name
Local authority
Indices of Multiple Deprivation - percentile
Round 2
Studio 3 Arts - Changing the Boundary
E01033588
Barking and Dagenham 021F
Barking and Dagenham
18
Round 2
Enhancing Toynbee Hall's Spaces
E01004310
Tower Hamlets 015E
Tower Hamlets
16
Round 2
Intensifying Barking's Industry
E01000092
Barking and Dagenham 019E
Barking and Dagenham
19
Round 2
Kingsley Hall - at the heart of community life
E01000078
Barking and Dagenham 007B
Barking and Dagenham
18
Round 2
Enterprising Tottenham High Road
E01001979
Haringey 011D
Haringey
12
Round 2
Rainham SIL - Access and Innovation
E01002368
Havering 028A
Havering
14
Round 2
Expanding Kensal's Creative Economy
E01002852
Kensington and Chelsea 001A
Kensington and Chelsea
12
Round 2
Grahame Park Life - 'Bringing the Old Library Back to Life'
E01000151
Barnet 026B
Barnet
14
Round 2
Holloway Road - NYT
E01002786
Islington 010D
Islington
17
Round 2
Church Street Triangle
E01033602
Westminster 009H
Westminster
12
Round 2
Erith Regeneration Programme Phase ll
E01000431
Bexley 008D
Bexley
17
Round 2
Regenerating Brixton's Rec Quarter
E01003047
Lambeth 011B
Lambeth
13
Round 2
A new parent-led childcare enterprise for local parents in Deptford, Lewisham
E01003207
Lewisham 005A
Lewisham
16
Round 2
Re-Imagining the Everyday Spaces in South Norwood
E01001145
Croydon 008C
Croydon
13
Round 2
Blue Market Community-Led Regeneration
Programme: Revitalising Bermondsey’s Historic Town
Centre
E01004042
Southwark 010D
Southwark
9
GGF Round
Project name
LSOA identifier
LSOA name
Local authority
Income deprivation - percentile
Round 2
Grahame Park Life - 'Bringing the Old Library Back to Life'
E01000151
Barnet 026B
Barnet
4
Round 2
Church Street Triangle
E01033602
Westminster 009H
Westminster
5
Round 2
Blue Market Community-Led Regeneration
Programme: Revitalising Bermondsey’s Historic Town
Centre
E01004042
Southwark 010D
Southwark
6
Round 2
Expanding Kensal's Creative Economy
E01002852
Kensington and Chelsea 001A
Kensington and Chelsea
7
Round 2
Re-Imagining the Everyday Spaces in South Norwood
E01001145
Croydon 008C
Croydon
10
Round 2
Enhancing Toynbee Hall's Spaces
E01004310
Tower Hamlets 015E
Tower Hamlets
12
Round 2
Wandsworth Community Food Bus
E01004567
Wandsworth 002E
Wandsworth
12
Round 2
Erith Regeneration Programme Phase ll
E01000431
Bexley 008D
Bexley
12
Round 2
Enterprising Tottenham High Road
E01001979
Haringey 011D
Haringey
13
Round 2
Rainham SIL - Access and Innovation
E01002368
Havering 028A
Havering
13
Round 2
Holloway Road - NYT
E01002786
Islington 010D
Islington
13
Round 2
Regenerating Brixton's Rec Quarter
E01003047
Lambeth 011B
Lambeth
14
Round 2
Kingsley Hall - at the heart of community life
E01000078
Barking and Dagenham 007B
Barking and Dagenham
15
Round 2
A new parent-led childcare enterprise for local parents in Deptford, Lewisham
E01003207
Lewisham 005A
Lewisham
15
Round 2
Studio 3 Arts - Changing the Boundary
E01033588
Barking and Dagenham 021F
Barking and Dagenham
17
Round 2
Intensifying Barking's Industry
E01000092
Barking and Dagenham 019E
Barking and Dagenham
18
Round 2
Centre 404 Build Our Future
E01002764
Islington 010A
Islington
18
Round 2
Securing the future of the Yard Theatre and Hub67 in Hackney Wick
E01004224
Tower Hamlets 001C
Tower Hamlets
20
Round 2
Grand Union Canal Activation
E01001246
Ealing 015D
Ealing
20

Tube Noise [7]

Andrew Dismore: What discussions are TfL having with universities and the private sector researchers and engineers to look at other solutions to reduce tube noise?

The Mayor: Tube noise is a priority both for me and Transport for London (TfL).
TfL continues to have an open dialogue with manufacturers about what noise and vibration solutions are available on the market. Although TfL is not currently aware of other products which would be suitable for London Underground’s unique infrastructure – with the exception of the ongoing trial of Delkor 167 on the Jubilee line – this is kept under continuous review.

Tube Noise [5]

Andrew Dismore: What is your next plan for tackling tube noise if the Delkor trials are unsuccessful?

The Mayor: Tackling Tube noise continues to be a priority for me and for Transport for London (TfL).
TfL expects to have further information on the impact of the Delkor 167 trial by summer 2021 and, if successful, will review plans to introduce this alternative rail fastening at other locations.
In addition, TfL is continuing to tackle Tube noise through a number of different methods. This includes rail grinding, which works by smoothing rails and removing corrugation, which is often the root cause of residential noise. TfL has carried out over 10,000 metres of noise and vibration-related rail grinding in the last six months. TfL will continue to carry out rail grinding, as well as other targeted interventions to reduce noise, including the removal of redundant rail joints, the maintenance of points and crossings, and re-ballasting track where required.
While TfL continues to do all it can to address Tube noise, its ability to carry out long-term and expensive interventions is limited without a sustainable long-term funding agreement.

Tube Noise [4]

Andrew Dismore: TfL have told residents at Fitzroy Square that grinding is unnecessary, as noise is not caused by the condition of the rail. Is this accurate? If so, what is the cause of the noise in excess of 50Db in homes there?

The Mayor: Rail grinding is now planned for this area, and is due to take place on the northbound track early next month.
TfL’s most recent measurements in this area, carried out last year, showed average noise levels of up to 43dB. Once residential noise monitoring has resumed, which is expected in early April, TfL will ensure that updated readings are carried out in this area.

Tube Noise [3]

Andrew Dismore: What is the latest update regarding Finchley Central and the friction modifier to reduce tube noise?

The Mayor: TfL is continuing to progress plans to fit electrical lubricators in this area and believes this could help mitigate noise by more reliably applying lubrication to the track. TfL expects installation will start in this area in spring 2021.
While residential noise monitoring is currently suspended as a result of the Government’s coronavirus restrictions, TfL will carry out further measurements in this area upon the resumption of its residential noise monitoring programme.

Tube Noise [2]

Andrew Dismore: What is the cause of the recent increase in tube noise in Golders Green? Have TfL officers assessed this?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is aware of recent complaints in this area, and is currently carrying out work to improve the condition of the track by removing ballast from underneath it. This work is expected to be complete later this month, and TfL hopes it will help reduce disturbance experienced by residents.
While residential noise monitoring is currently suspended as a result of the Government’s coronavirus restrictions, TfL will carry out further measurements in this area upon the resumption of its residential noise monitoring programme

Tube Noise [1]

Andrew Dismore: What are the latest findings of the Delkor track fastening trials? When will a decision be made on the roll out of this track fastening?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is continuing to trial an alternative rail fastening product called Delkor 167 on the Jubilee line, which it hopes will reduce in-carriage noise.
As a result of the coronavirus outbreak and the required focus on safety critical works, this work has unfortunately been delayed.
Although its noise monitoring programme is currently suspended as a result of current coronavirus restrictions, TfL expects to have further information on the impact of this product on residential and in-carriage noise levels by summer 2021, and if successful will review plans to introduce it at other locations.

Government cuts to London

Andrew Dismore: Costs are higher in London and this is a challenge that Government itself faces in directly funding the capital. Be it capital city function funding for the police, the, in my view, vindictive cuts to TfL funding or the recent cuts to university funding, do you believe London is being targeted by the Government for cuts? Is this levelling down London, instead of levelling up the rest of the country, as they promised?

The Mayor: Starving London of investment is self-defeating – London’s economy accounts for a quarter of the UK’s total economic output and contributes a net £38.7 billion to the Treasury.
But in the TfL funding negotiations, in policing, in affordable housing and in university funding, time and time again we’ve seen the Government leaving London underfunded.
Most recently we saw this in the Chancellor’s Budget, which had nothing for London. And according to the prospectus for the Government’s new £4.8 billion Levelling Up fund, communities in deprived London boroughs like Tower Hamlets are less deserving of investment than those in the Chancellor’s own leafy constituency of Richmond, North Yorkshire. This simply cannot be right.
I fully support levelling-up places across the country, but that can’t mean making London poorer – that would make our whole country poorer.

Disability Pay Gap in London

Shaun Bailey: How has the disability pay gap in London changed each year since May 2016?

The Mayor: Figures for the pay gap between disabled and non-disabled employees working in London up to 2019 are given below. These figures are calculated by the GLA from the Annual Population Survey. The latest available data are for 2019, and 2020 data are expected in May 2021. These figures are available on the London Datastore as part of my Economic Fairness indicators.
2016
17%
2017
12.3%
2018
17%
2019
16.6%[1]
A lack of flexible working opportunities, inaccessible recruitment and discriminatory practices all contribute to disabled people not participating or progressing in the workplace. These barriers are structural and endemic. While rates of disability self-declaration in organisations can be low, which makes pay gap data difficult to produce accurately, my Good Work Standard encourages employers to monitor disability pay gaps, adopt best practice and achieve high standards in working conditions, diversity and inclusion and flexible working.
[1] https://data.london.gov.uk/economic-fairness/labour-market/disability-pay-gap/

Decision-making

Shaun Bailey: What have you done to ensure that decision-making in City Hall is as effective as possible?

The Mayor: It’s important that we continue to improve our governance processes whenever we can.
We’ve begun publishing Chief Officer forms for the first time, and we’ve asked all decision authors to consider conflicts of interest more formally. We’ve overhauled the approach to budget setting and now publish a significantly more comprehensive and transparent GLA: Mayor budget document.
We’ve continually been looking for ways to improve our engagement with Londoners, so we can make better decisions. Talk London now has a membership of nearly 60,000 Londoners from all walks of life, and we’ve used this amazing resource to help shape the work of the London Recovery Board.
This approach – listening to and working with Londoners – has shaped my decisions as Mayor.

Homebuilding Capacity Fund (4)

Susan Hall: Which London councils submitted bids to your Home Building Capacity Fund, with the aim of delivering optimal density across new residential developments in an area? Please demonstrate how successful they have been since in achieving this.

The Mayor: The Real Lettings Property Fund 2 has leased 308 properties within London to St Mungo Community Housing Association to house individuals and families who have been homeless or are at risk of homelessness. A further 13 properties within London will be leased to St Mungo Community Housing Association and are in the process of being purchased or refurbished. Properties are let to the tenant at the Local Housing Allowance rate.

Ethnicity Pay Gap in London

Shaun Bailey: How has the ethnicity pay gap in London changed each year since May 2016?

The Mayor: Figures for the ethnicity pay gap between White and BAME employees working in London up to 2019 are given below. These figures are calculated by the GLA from the Annual Population Survey. The latest available data are for 2019, and 2020 data are expected in May 2021. These figures are available on the London Datastore as part of my Economic Fairness indicators.
2016
27%
2017
28.3%
2018
26.6%
2019
28.2%[1]
The drivers of the ethnicity pay gap are structural and complex. Ethnicity pay gap reporting should be taken as seriously and carried out as robustly as reporting on gender pay gaps. Last year, I called on the Government to enforce mandatory reporting and the GLA Group has reported the ethnicity pay gap since 2017.
I also encouraged employers to not just report but take action on the ethnicity pay gap, I have recently published an employer toolkit which sets out how businesses can recruit, retain and progress Black staff, who are disproportionately affected by low pay. My Good Work Standard encourages businesses to publish their ethnicity pay gap and demonstrate their commitment to preventing discrimination. [DW1]
I will continue to work with employers across London - to look at their policies and practices to ensure we continue to progress towards a city where all Londoners can thrive.
[1] https://data.london.gov.uk/economic-fairness/labour-market/gender-pay-gap/
Should also add that the Mayor has reported the GLA ethnicity pay gap now since 2017 (I think?) and should include a line that notes the importance of employers not only reporting the pay gap but also developing action plans (again as the Mayor has done) to show how they will reduce them[DW1][DW1]

TPH Financial Summary

Keith Prince: The TPH financial summary for 2019/20 showed an overall regulatory deficit of £31m. It is claimed a concerted effort will be made to ultimately balance licensing income and expenditure. This will primarily be delivered by regulatory expenditure savings. Will the Mayor elaborate on those expenditure savings?

The Mayor: The TPH financial summary for 2019/20 shows a 10 per cent increase in the income Transport for London (TfL) received and a 5 per cent decrease in its expenditure compared to the previous year. As a result, TfL’s in-year regulatory position has improved significantly, from a £9m deficit in 2018/19 to a £3.7m deficit in 2019/20.
TfL made significant savings in several areas last year, as highlighted in the summary, and will continue to find opportunities to reduce its regulatory expenditure in these areas. However, the publication of the Department for Transport’s new Statutory Standards for licensing authorities will undoubtedly lead to additional costs to licensing authorities and licensees. TfL is seeking to implement these in the most cost-efficient way possible.
TfL continues to focus on delivering a balanced licence income and expenditure, however it will need to assess the impact of the pandemic and the new Statutory Standards on these plans. In the meantime, TfL will continue to focus on providing an effective and safe licensing regime during these difficult times.

Transport Workers and Covid 19

Keith Prince: Your partial response to Question 2021/0127 contained even less information than your response to 2020/2533. Please provide me with a breakdown of Bus Driver deaths from Covid-19 by Bus Operator and explain why this requested information was not included in your latest response.

The Mayor: Tragically, we have lost a total of 51 bus drivers to coronavirus-related illness as of 9 March. Transport for London is unable to provide a line by line account of each death due to data protection and out of respect to the privacy of the affected families. A summary of the information requested has been provided in the table below.
It is important to note that the operators vary in size and in the proportion of routes that they operate on TfL’s network.
Operator
Total Bus Driver Deaths (9 March 2021)
Abellio
3
Arriva
5
Go-Ahead
9
HCT
1
Metroline
15
RATP
5
Stagecoach
6
Tower Transit
7
Total
51

Staff-related problem delays

Gareth Bacon: Please provide details of how many delays caused by staff-related problems there have been on each TfL line for each year from 2012 until the end of your current mayoralty.

The Mayor: Please see the first two tables on the attached document for the requested data.
The main factor underlying fluctuations to incidents relating to train staff (Line Operations) is train operator availability, most notably train cancellations as a result of absence. Resourcing has fluctuated during this period, for reasons including the Olympics/Paralympics, line upgrade works creating additional training requirements, and the launch of Night Tube in 2016. London Underground train operators cannot work overtime to cover shortfalls.
The number of incidents does not necessarily reflect the impact on customers, with many train cancellations very short in duration.

The Mayor: 1220 Appendix Staff-related problem delays.doc

TfL delay refunds

Gareth Bacon: How many refunds have been issued as a result of TfL delays to passengers in each year of your mayoralty, including the total cost of those refunds?

The Mayor: The table below shows the number of refunds given and the value for delays to passengers.
Calendar year
Refunds issued
Refund value £
2016
312,328
£1,203,286.80
20171
1,320,516
£5,236,160.47
2018
489,807
£1,789,826.15
2019
653,822
£2,430,332.42
2020
95,405
£410,756.90
2021*
1,682
£5,558.50
*year to date
1In 2017, over £3.6m was refunded for delays due to problems with train wheels on the Piccadilly line.
Customers can apply for a refund if their journey is delayed for between 15 or 30 minutes or more (dependent on their mode of public transport travel). Details are outlined on TfL’s website: https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/refunds-and-replacements

Business support advertising (1)

Tony Devenish: What is the total cost to date of placing sponsored posts and messages on LinkedIn and any social media platforms relating to the Mayor’s business support schemes – such as the Back to Business Fund and Pay it Forward London?

The Mayor: London’s businesses have been severely impacted in the past year both by the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit. In order to support our capital’s businesses to stay afloat at this difficult time, the GLA has been running several support schemes. These include the crowdfunding platform Pay It Forward London, and the online portal London Business Hub.
Pay It Forward London is a fundraising platform that allows London's local businesses to crowdfund and gather support from Londoners, and the London Business Hub is an online portal which provides businesses with free advice and access to business support programmes, webinars and events. It also offers SMEs one-to-one support on a range of Brexit-related issues.

To support businesses further, the GLA also launched the Back to Business Fund in July 2020, a funding scheme that matches funds raised by Londoners on Pay it Forward for up to £5,000 – providing additional financial support to businesses to help them expand their operations online and adapt to socially-distant trading.
To ensure businesses and Londoners could access these support schemes, the GLA ran advertising on social media targeted to business audiences, as well as individuals wanting to help small businesses. The cost of advertising in FY 2020/21 on all social platforms in relation to these schemes was £70,494.44.
This activity has contributed to:
Total impressions and contacts were requested for this activity. The advertising has resulted in 13,657,153 impressions, however this is not a useful metric for the success of advertising, as it doesn’t measure actual engagement.

Mayor’s Good Growth Fund (7)

Susan Hall: Since investment from the second round of the Mayor’s Good Growth Fund in 2018, how effective has Centre 404 been in providing support services for people with learning difficulties and carers from LGBTQ+ communities in Islington, Camden, Haringey, Enfield & Hammersmith & Fulham?

The Mayor: Centre 404 is a project that I’m proud to have supported via my Good Growth Fund. Centre 404 opened their doors in August 2020 having worked hard to keep their capital programme on track and to budget during the Covid-19 pandemic. Throughout this they continued to deliver front line support services to vulnerable children, adults and their carers. While some group activities and training events have been postponed in line with current restrictions, the centre is open and utilising its new and expanded spaces to provide daily face to face support and activities designed to include people with complex needs. For those who cannot attend in-person, the centre has kept in touch via telephone and video call, and moved some of their classes and training offers online, including hosting carers support networks, personal care and mental health workshops and weekly fitness classes.
Centre 404 has proved an invaluable source of support to service users, their families and the wider community over the past year, and I have every confidence that as restrictions ease they will continue to deliver and expand their much needed services and support to vulnerable Londoners.

Scrappage Schemes

Keith Prince: Is it acceptable that TfL’s HGV Scrappage Scheme and its Minibuses and Vans Scrappage Scheme have had to be suspended due to lack of funds?

The Mayor: I have allocated £48m for scrappage schemes which support low income and disabled Londoners, small businesses and charities to switch to cleaner vehicles and greener forms of transport.The Scrappage Scheme forvans and minibuses has supported the scrapping ofover 4,700 vehicleswhilstthe heavy vehicle schemehassupported the scrapping of 64vehicles and the retrofitting of4 vehicles to date.
The schemes have been hugely popular.Due to unprecedented demand and limitedfundswe suspended the Scrappage Scheme to vans on the 28 August 2020. The heavy vehicle scheme wasalsosuspended a few weeks after it launchedat the end ofSeptember 2020. I continuetoseekfurther funding from government to support this popular scheme andto lobby government to fund a national scrappage scheme.
In addition to the £48 million, I recently provided an additional £4.2moffundingforthe extremely popular scrappage schemes to support more small businesses, low income and disabled Londoners andtodeliver further air quality benefits in London.Theadditionalfunding will be allocated to previous applicants of thevanschemewhose applicationsTfL wasunable to process due to limited funds.It will alsosupportmore low income and disabled Londonersto scrapnon-compliantcars and motorcycles.An additional £344,000of London Economic Action Partnership funding will support the scrapping and retrofitting of an additional 23 heavyvehicles.

Business support advertising (2)

Tony Devenish: How many impressions, contacts and scheme sign-ups have resulted from the sponsored posts and messages on LinkedIn and any social media platforms relating to the Mayor’s business support schemes – such as the Back to Business Fund and Pay it Forward London?

The Mayor: London’s businesses have been severely impacted in the past year both by the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit. In order to support our capital’s businesses to stay afloat at this difficult time, the GLA has been running several support schemes. These include the crowdfunding platform Pay It Forward London, and the online portal London Business Hub.
Pay It Forward London is a fundraising platform that allows London's local businesses to crowdfund and gather support from Londoners, and the London Business Hub is an online portal which provides businesses with free advice and access to business support programmes, webinars and events. It also offers SMEs one-to-one support on a range of Brexit-related issues.

To support businesses further, the GLA also launched the Back to Business Fund in July 2020, a funding scheme that matches funds raised by Londoners on Pay it Forward for up to £5,000 – providing additional financial support to businesses to help them expand their operations online and adapt to socially-distant trading.
To ensure businesses and Londoners could access these support schemes, the GLA ran advertising on social media targeted to business audiences, as well as individuals wanting to help small businesses. The cost of advertising in FY 2020/21 on all social platforms in relation to these schemes was £70,494.44.
This activity has contributed to:
Total impressions and contacts were requested for this activity. The advertising has resulted in 13,657,153 impressions, however this is not a useful metric for the success of advertising, as it doesn’t measure actual engagement.

Homebuilding Capacity Fund (2)

Susan Hall: Which London councils submitted bids to your Homebuilding Capacity Fund, so that they could deliver a new generation of council homes in London. What is the progress to date in delivering the new council homes?

The Mayor: Brent, Camden, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Haringey, Harrow, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Lewisham, Newham, Redbridge, Southwark and Waltham Forest are the councils that have succeeded in obtaining funding from the Homebuilding Capacity Fund to set up projects aimed at delivering a new generation of council homes in London. Examples of projects include councils recruiting specialist housing and planning staff to accelerate the implementation of the Building Council Homes for Londoners initiative.
Councils have consistently provided positive feedback about the impact of the Homebuilding Capacity Fund on their delivery programmes. The GLA is commissioning an independent impact study of the Homebuilding Capacity Fund, which will be undertaken this year. The study will provide further detail about the impact of this funding on council housing delivery programmes in London.

Zero Emission Buses

Shaun Bailey: By which date will all London buses become zero emission?

The Mayor: My Transport Strategy commits to have a zero-emission bus fleet in place by 2037 at the latest. Due to the pressing nature of the twin dangers of air quality and the climate emergency, I’ve asked Transport for London (TfL) to look at how this date may be brought forward to 2030 as part of a sustainable funding deal for TfL. As part of this commitment to cleaner air, the core bus fleet now meets Euro VI emissions and there are over 430 zero-emission buses – this is expected to increase to around 700 by the end of this year.
The transition to a zero emission bus fleet requires a substantial investment. Zero emission buses currently cost around 50 per cent more than equivalent internal combustion engine buses and London has the largest bus fleet in Europe. Upfront investment is also needed in bus garage power upgrades and charging infrastructure across nearly 80 sites. Given the Government’s recently announced target to reduce carbon emissions to 68 per cent of 1990 levels by 2030, it is vital that the Government work with us and help fund this investment in the UKs low carbon future. This will secure and grow good green manufacturing jobs across the UK.

GLA Emissions

Shaun Bailey: How much has the GLA emitted in emissions for each year since 2016?

The Mayor: I assume that the question refers to greenhouse gas emissions. The CO2e emissions for the City Hall and Trafalgar Square operations for every year since 2016 are presented in the table below. Under this administration, between 2016 and 2020, emissions have reduced by 53%.
Year
City Hall
Trafalgar Square
Total
CO2e emissions (tonnes/annum)
CO2e emissions (tonnes/annum)
Reduction since 2016/2017 (%)
2015/16
1,563
120
-
2016/17
1,506
119
-4%
2017/18
1,314
100
-19%
2018/19
1,067
89
-46%
2019/20
1,003
96
-53%

Mayor’s Housing Strategy (2)

Susan Hall: How has your Housing Strategy helped to tackle homelessness, with a way off the street for every rough sleeper?

The Mayor: The LHS, published in 2018, includes many policies which have since contributed toward reducing and alleviating homelessness in London. From house-building programmes to increase the supply of housing, to policies on social and affordable housing to improve the affordability of housing, to working to improve conditions and protections for London’s private renters. My Rough Sleeping Plan of Action builds on the policies specifically in relation to rough sleeping, setting out the steps that I would take, and those required of local and national government, in order to tackle this issue.
A new Rapid Response outreach team, Floating Assessment Hubs, and the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme are just a few examples of the new services and initiatives that I have delivered since 2018. In addition, during the COVID-19 pandemic the GLA has played a vital role in ensuring that rough sleepers are supported and COVID-19 rates within the homeless population are kept as low as possible. Since last March, over 2,200 rough sleepers have been safely accommodated in GLA-procured hotels, over 800 of whom have positively moved on. Lives have been both turned around and saved by this incredible work.
Each year over 80% of rough sleepers helped by my rough sleeping services exit rough sleeping permanently.
Unfortunately, welfare cuts and other national government policies mean people continue to be pushed onto the streets, and I am concerned that the end of the furlough scheme and the ban on enforcing evictions will see these numbers rise further.

Heathrow Free Travel Zone (2)

Caroline Russell: The operator of Heathrow Airport has suspended the Heathrow Free Travel Zone and is withdrawing support for local public transport. This cut in funding from Heathrow to Transport for London (TfL) is effectively being absorbed in the government support deal for TfL. What level of funding was Heathrow providing to Transport for London (TfL) in return for free travel for each mode of transport concerned – bus, tube and train?

The Mayor: Despite our representations, Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) decided to proceed with its plan to withdraw the bulk of its support for local public transport, including the Heathrow Bus Free Travel Zone.
On 16 December 2020, Transport for London (TfL) received formal notification that HAL would be terminating its agreement with TfL for free bus travel. As it was entirely funded by HAL, with no contribution from TfL or the Government, free bus travel will cease in June 2021, in line with the contract notice period. Free Tube and train travel are covered by separate arrangements and are not affected.
The contract for free bus travel between HAL and TfL stipulates that the funding is calculated annually, using a formula which takes into account ridership so as to enable TfL to recoup lost revenue resulting from the arrangement. Based on pre-pandemic demand, this resulted in a payment of around £1.2m per annum.

Tithe Walk NW7

Andrew Dismore: Residents of Tithe Walk in Mill Hill have raised concerns about the dangers of cars entering their road at speed from the A1. They are requesting the implementation of a ‘no-left turn’ from the A1 into Tithe Walk via a petition which every resident of the road has signed. Will you ask TfL to support this proposal and make representations to Barnet Council?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has discussed your concerns with the London Borough of Barnet and as the highway authority for this road, Barnet has agreed to commission a number of traffic surveys and traffic modelling to assess the impact this proposal would have on the adjacent road network. Once TfL has been provided with this information and assessed the full impact of the ‘no-left turn’ and the financial costs associated with this alteration, I will ask them to provide you with an update on next steps

IOPC outcomes and corresponding Met disciplinary action

Unmesh Desai: Please provide the total number of cases referred to the IOPC in each of the past 4 years. Please advise what proportion of these IOPC referrals resulted in misconduct or gross misconduct hearings for the officer(s) involved and how many officers faced disciplinary action (written warning, final written warning, reduction on rank or dismissal without notice) as a result of these.

The Mayor: Under Schedule 3 of the Police Reform Act 2002 the MPS must, as the Appropriate Authority for complaints and conduct matters against MPS police officers, refer any of the following cases to the IOPC:
In addition, the IOPC encourages appropriate authorities to use their ability to voluntarily refer complaints or conduct matters that do not have to be referred, but where the gravity of the subject matter or exceptional circumstances justify referral. This may be because the matter could have a significant impact on public confidence or there is a particular need for independent involvement.
Table 1: The table below shows the total number of cases referred to the IOPC by the MPS.
Year Referred
No of Cases
2017
765
2018
534
2019
368
2020
352
Table 2: The table below shows the outcomes from these IOPC referrals, including those cases that are still ongoing. Note that most cases referred to the IOPC (77.8%) in 2020 are still under investigation.
Year Referred
Gross Misconduct
Misconduct
No Discipline
Ongoing
Grand Total
2017
9.0%
5.2%
82.6%
3.1%
100.0%
2018
8.2%
9.6%
74.0%
8.2%
100.0%
2019
9.2%
7.6%
59.5%
23.6%
100.0%
2020
0.9%
2.6%
18.8%
77.8%
100.0%
Grand Total
7.4%
6.3%
65.0%
21.2%
100.0%
Table 3 shows the number of officers that faced disciplinary action as a result of the referrals in Table 1. Note that a number of cases are still ongoing.
Year Referred
No of Officers who received a disciplinary sanction*
2017
79
2018
69
2019
25
2020
6
*Disciplinary sanction includes written warning, final written warning, reduction in rank or dismissal without notice

Alternatives to Raising Council Tax

Shaun Bailey: Why did you raise your share of Council Tax by almost 10% instead of proposing other ways to raise money which do not impose such a burden on Londoners?

The Mayor: I recognise that in many households, finances are more stretched than ever before because of the pandemic. With a lot of hard work, I managed to limit the council tax increase to less than half of what my opponents expected, despite huge pressure from Government Ministers.
The Transport Secretary personally told me that council tax would have to go up in London and the Home Secretary assumed a huge increase to keep police recruitment flowing. In these circumstances, I had to do the right thing for Londoners, and every penny of this money will be put to good and efficient use keeping our public transport system running and keeping Londoners safe.

Local consolidation centres

Caroline Russell: The German government is offering support for the establishment of micro delivery depots. How are you providing support for new local consolidation centres to enable cargo bike and small electric vehicle ‘last mile’ deliveries across London as part of the recovery?

The Mayor: Since 2018, Transport for London (TfL) has been supporting London’s Business Groups to set up local consolidation hubs and cargo bike schemes through the Healthy Streets Fund for Business (HSFB). HSFB match funds start-up costs and provides guidance and project management advice, ensuring initiatives are commercially sustainable. Toolkits are developed using best practice and lessons learned during implementation to enable initiatives to be replicated by others across London.
As part of the Mayor’s Civic Innovation Fund and partnering with retailers, parcel carriers, and global innovators, TfL is running “FreightLab” innovation trials, some of which explore the conditions for success for sustainable last mile delivery, including trialling e-cargo bike delivery models.
TfL are also engaged in talks with multiple last mile delivery operators across the commercial property estate to identify suitable properties that can support businesses. A garage at Caxton Street, formerly occupied by the British Transport Police became available and allowed the unique garage premises to be openly marketed; this resulted in the commercial letting to DPD, part of La Poste Group, for use as a last mile electrified delivery depot in the heart of Westminster.
TfL is looking at repurposing its own land for freight management opportunities as part of the green recovery, some of which may include micro-consolidation centres serviced by cargo bike. We also encourage new developments to provide micro-consolidation facilities wherever possible, as part of the Delivery and Servicing Plans that are required through the planning application process. The benefits of micro-consolidation are set out in TfL’s Delivery and Servicing Plan Guidance which can be found here https://content.tfl.gov.uk/delivery-and-servicing-plan-guidance.pdf.

Exempt vehicles in the Ultra Low Emission Zone (2)

Caroline Russell: What is the current proportion of exempt vehicles in the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), and what proportion are you expecting there to be in the expanded ULEZ?

The Mayor: Only vehicles that do not meet the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) emissions standards are required to pay the daily ULEZ charge. Transport for London (TfL) monitors rates of compliance within the ULEZ and publishes this in its quarterly online fact sheets at: tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/ultra-low-emission-zone. In December 2020, 85 per cent of vehicles in the central zone complied with the standards and did not have to pay the daily charge. Current monitoring also indicates that four out of five cars currently operating the expanded zone are compliant.
In order to maximise the air quality benefits of the scheme there are very limited discounts and exemptions available. Aroundnineper cent of vehicles operating in the central ULEZ on an average day inFebruary2020(priorto thepandemic)were subject to a discount or exemption and therefore the driver did not need to pay the ULEZ charge. These vehicles are either automatically exempt or can be registered with TfL for a 100 per cent discount, such asresidents, taxis(which make up the majority),historic vehicles and vehicles with a 'disabled' or 'disabled passenger vehicles' tax class.
TfL does not have an estimate for the proportion of vehicles expected to operate within the expanded zone which will be eligible for an exemption or discount.Whiletheremaybe an increasein the number of exemptedvehiclesusing the zonewhen the ULEZ expandson 25October 2021due to the additional area it covers,residents’ vehicleswill no longer be discounted.Given the need to take action to reduce air pollution as soon as possible, there is no exemption for residents when the ULEZ expands toinner London.

ULEZ expansion traffic data (3)

Caroline Russell: Thank you for your answer to my question 2020/1014. Do Transport for London (TfL) have an expectation for the future changes in traffic volumes within the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) for both the central and expanded zones?

The Mayor: The introduction of the central London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) contributed to a reduction in traffic flows in central London from May 2019 to January 2020 (before the pandemic) of between three and nine per cent when compared with 2018. It should be noted that this scheme was introduced on the same day that the exemption to the Congestion Charge for private hire vehicles was removed, which will also have affected traffic levels.
The biggest change in traffic volumes from the expansion of the ULEZ scheme will come immediately following the introduction of the scheme as some people choose not to drive non-compliant vehicles in the zone. Transport for London (TfL) estimates that the expansion of the ULEZ would result in a one per cent reduction in vehicle kilometres in inner London.

ULEZ expansion traffic data (2)

Caroline Russell: Thank you for your answer to my question 2020/1014. Is Transport for London (TfL) now monitoring traffic in the forthcoming expanded Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) area, and could you provide a baseline figure for traffic, or comment on recent trends ahead of the expanded ULEZ introduction?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) monitors traffic volumes in central London, inner London and outer London, and this will continue through the introduction of the expanded ULEZ zone. The Travel in London Report 13 gives a summary of trends in these areas (http://content.tfl.gov.uk/travel-in-london-report-13.pdf).
Historic data leading up to the start of 2020 can be found between pages 92 and 97. Data during the pandemic of 2020 can be found between page 172 and 177. The data behind this commentary allows for detailed monitoring of trends. Trends during 2020 have of course been affected by the pandemic, and it is too early to comment on traffic levels over the remainder of the year further than what is within Travel in London Report 13.

Silvertown Road Tunnel in Transport for London (TfL) budgets

Caroline Russell: Could you confirm the current Expected Final Cost (EFC) allocated in Transport for London (TfL) budgets to the Silvertown Road Tunnel and what it is covering?

The Mayor: The current Expected Final Cost for the Silvertown Tunnel Project is outlined in Transport for London’s (TfL) Investment Programme Report which was recently published as part of the TfL Programmes & Investment Committee papers:
https://content.tfl.gov.uk/pic-20210303-agenda-and-documents-public-updated.pdf
This figure generally covers items which are not within the main scope of the project being delivered by Riverlinx under a design, build, finance and maintain agreement. It covers costs associated with land acquisition; TfL’s wider monitoring of traffic and air quality; and the installation of a noise barrier on the southern approach to the Blackwall Tunnel, for example. It also covers the procurement of the road user charging infrastructure required for TfL to introduce charging to the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels, and the TfL staff costs for managing the contract with Riverlinx, and the project more generally.

London Transition Board (4)

Leonie Cooper: What actions have the London Transition Board taken since it was established?

The Mayor: The London Transition Board was set up last year to oversee the transition out of the first lockdown. Actions of the Board are summarised in minutes of the meetings that can be found athttps://www.gov.uk/government/groups/london-transition-board.
.Actions include;

TfL’s energy supply

Leonie Cooper: Please provide an update on progress made in moving TfL to a green energy supplier.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is making good progress in devising and agreeing its strategy to transition to renewable energy via Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) to enable the goal of running a zero carbon railway by 2030. This was agreed at TfL’s Finance Committee in September 2020. A further paper to the Committee on 25 November set out the procurement process and timeframe for the first two PPAs, which will see 20 per cent of TfL’s electricity supply being sourced directly from renewable energy. In parallel, the GLA Group is actively developing plans for a wider switch to renewables including an innovative financing solution to fund the building of new renewable assets, underwritten by GLA Group power demand. This will be launched in conjunction with TfL’s second PPA procurement in the summer. If successful, this financing solution would be used to support the GLA Group-wide transition to renewable power.

EU Londoners

Leonie Cooper: Many EU Londoners are still feeling uncertain about their future. What are you doing to urge EU Londoners to remain in London, to inform them of their rights and to advise them on securing settled status?

The Mayor: With less than four months left to apply to the government's EU Settlement Scheme, European Londoners are feeling increasingly anxious and unsettled, with many facing barriers to accessing the support they need to secure their status in time.
My team continues to update the European Londoners Hub, which to date has been accessed by over 1.4m people,to help EU citizens and their families navigate their rights post-Brexit. To ensure no-one is left behind, our communications are being translated and targeted at those with low English literacy.I currently fund 17 community organisations to deliver advice and support to vulnerable European communities in London.
I will continue to lead by example and do everything in my power to support European Londoners to secure their status in the UK but giventhefast-approachingdeadline andthe ongoing restrictions due to Covid-19 I urge the government to lift the 30 June 2021 deadline.

Government cuts to London Universities [2]

Andrew Dismore: Do you agree with Middlesex University, who are calling for a package of measures to support the university sector in London, and if so will you make representations to the Government from measures including:
-additional hardship funding and student premium funding, as recommended by the All Party Parliamentary Group for Students report on Tuition and Accommodation Costs during Covid19;
-support extended beyond this financial year as accommodation contracts typically run to 31 July, or 31 August for private accommodation, and students also face a long summer of
limited opportunities for work to supplement their income due to the ongoing pandemic and economic situation;
-schemes for universities to work with suppliers to support ‘educational prices’ for laptops for students;
-progress with the Government’s planned sharia-compliant loan scheme for Muslim students as quickly as possible. Many such students and potential students have been unable to earn income to support tuition fees and other costs and risk not being able to continue / access higher education.

The Mayor: London’s Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) should be put in the strongest possible position and be given the resources they need to support their students and London’s recovery once we emerge from this pandemic. The Government’s recent additional £50 million investment in student hardship funding is a welcome start, but the scale of the challenge is much greater than this, including the long-term consequences on student wellbeing. This is also why I am calling on the Secretary of State to reverse his recent decision to cut funding to London’s HEIs through the London Weighting.
I will continue to engage closely with London’s HE sector through my recovery board to shape our recovery missions, where the sector is represented by Julia Buckingham, Vice-Chancellor, Brunel University and President, Universities UK.

Government cuts to London Universities [3]

Andrew Dismore: Did the Government inform or consult you on their decision to cut funding for London universities?

The Mayor: I was not consulted on the Government’s proposed funding cuts to London universities prior to the Secretary of State’s announcement, nor, as I understand, were individual higher education institutions or representative bodies such as London Higher. I have written to the Secretary of State for Education calling on him to reverse these cuts and expressing my disappointment at the lack of notice or engagement with the sector on this decision.

Government cuts to London Universities [4]

Andrew Dismore: What do you estimate the impact of cutting London Weighting will be for universities? Have you had discussions with the sector?

The Mayor: The removal of the London weighting represents at least a £64m reduction in funding for London’s higher education institutions, which is used to help bridge the shortfall of funds needed to meet the increased costs of delivering education in the capital. I am concerned that all institutions, from research-intensive institutions to small, specialist arts and music colleges will be affected by the removal of this funding.
I have been in close contact with the sector on this issue, including London Higher, and have written to the Secretary of State for Education, calling on him to urgently reconsider this decision. In my letter, I made clear that levelling up is a critical challenge within London as well as across England and removal of this funding represents levelling down for London’s HE providers and learners.

Mayor's Office Advertising Spending

Susan Hall: How much money has the Mayor’s office spent on advertising each year since May 2016?

The Mayor: The Mayor’s Office does not have a budget for advertising.

Hearing the concerns of leaseholders

Unmesh Desai: Through what forum are you listening to the voices of London’s leaseholders who are caught up in the cladding scandal affecting thousands of people across London?

The Mayor: I am deeply saddened by the distressing accounts of Londoners whose lives have been put on hold, or finances and mental health damaged, because of this building safety crisis. Every month, my team at the GLA receive correspondence from affected residents and I regularly see the experiences shared by leaseholders on social media. In addition, my Deputy Mayor and the Building Safety team at City Hall frequently update me on the meetings they have with the brilliant groups campaigning on this issue.
We are approaching four years since the Grenfell Tower fire and yet there continues to be serious gaps in the Government’s response. All leaseholders caught up in this scandal deserve to live in safe homes and be protected from the costs of fixing the problem: I will keep fighting to represent the voice of every Londoner impacted.

Reform State of the State 2020

Tony Devenish: What lessons have you learnt from Reform’s most recent report “The State of the State 2020” and what actions will you specifically be taking in London as a result?

The Mayor: The report provided an interesting insight into national attitudes to some key topics at a pivotal time in our history. The Covid-19 pandemic has meant that our attitudes to public policy may need to fundamentally change to help us build back better from the events of the past year.
Many of the insights are already reflected in the work of the London Recovery Board, and the recovery programme we are building at the GLA and across London. We are focussing on the need for good quality jobs to help us recover from the pandemic, as well as the needs of young people, and I have committed £20 million in each of the next two years to our Green New Deal.
I agree that more Government investment is needed in the NHS, jobs, policing and housing, and in London we need a sustainable deal for TfL to make all this work

TfL Planning Applications

Andrew Boff: Given your role as Chair of TfL, do you intend to personally determine any TfL planning application that is referable to the GLA, or will such applications be delegated?

The Mayor: Because I am Chair of TfL in the interests of probity and transparency, I do not consider any TfL referable planning application. The applications are delegated to Jules Pipe CBE, Deputy Mayor Planning, Regeneration & Skills for his consideration.

London Transition Board (1)

Leonie Cooper: Can you provide an update on the work of the London Transition Board since the second lockdown in December 2020?

The Mayor: The London Transition Board was paused in December 2020 as London’s governance dealt with the 2nd wave of Covid-19. Since the pause, some of the Transition Board Strategy Groups have continued to meet and some were repurposed to deal with the immediate response to the pandemic. The Board will now reconvene on 18th March, with Strategy Groups continuing to support its work in parallel.

Support for High-rise Leaseholders

Unmesh Desai: There are 495 high-rise buildings in my constituency that have applied to the Building Safety Fund for the remediation of dangerous cladding. Please explain what your office is doing to support leaseholders like my constituents in these buildings who are living with the distress and anxiety of the cladding scandal as well as COVID-19?

The Mayor: I remain deeply concerned about the impact unsafe cladding and wider safety defects are having on leaseholders across London and appreciate the additional effect that COVID-19 may be having on them.
My Building Safety team is focused on working intensively with applicants to the cladding remediation funds to finalise applications and secure funding as quickly as possible – this will ensure leaseholders and residents of these buildings are made safe urgently.
I have and will continue to lobby the Government to take all action to make homes safe and to protect affected leaseholders. In December I called for a windfall tax on developer profits which would raise at least £3 billion for cladding remediation and other building safety work. While I am pleased that ministers have since announced their intention to bring in a developer levy, their proposals would not go as far as my own, and I was disappointed that there was no mention of the levy in the Budget.
My Deputy Mayor for Housing is committed to engaging with affected leaseholders regularly and I will continue to support campaigns focused on ensuring building safety.

Childhood Obesity Levels in London

Andrew Boff: How have childhood obesity levels in London changed each year since May 2016?

The Mayor: Children’s height and weight is measured in Reception (aged 4-5 years) and Year 6 (aged 10-11 years)as part of the National Child Measurement Programme.
Prevalence of children with a Body Mass Index classified as obese (including severely obese) is given as a proportion of all children measured.
Reception: Prevalence of obesity (including severe obesity) London Region
Period
Value
2015/16
10.3%
2016/17
10.3%
2017/18
10.1%
2018/19
10.2%
2019/20
10.0%
In Reception prevalence of obesity (including severe obesity) has decreased slightly.
Year 6: Prevalence of obesity (including severe obesity) London Region
Period
Value
2015/16
23.2%
2016/17
23.6%
2017/18
23.1%
2018/19
23.2%
2019/20
23.7%
In Year 6, prevalence of obesity (including severe obesity) has increased slightly.
Children are classified as overweight (including obese) if their BMI is on or above the 85th centile of the British 1990 growth reference (UK90) according to age and sex.
Reception: Prevalence of overweight (including obesity) London Region
Period
Value
2015/16
22.0%
2016/17
22.3%
2017/18
21.8%
2018/19
21.8%
2019/20
21.6%
In Reception prevalence of overweight (including obesity) London) has decreased slightly
Year 6: Prevalence of overweight (including obesity) London Region
Period
Value
2015/16
38.1%
2016/17
38.5%
2017/18
37.7%
2018/19
37.9%
2019/20
38.2%
In year 6, prevalence of overweight (including obesity) London) has increased slightly
This is not a significant change but a positive change in the right direction for London, when in fact it has increased in England.
*The 2019/20 NCMP data collection stopped in March 2020 when schools were closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The number of children measured was around 75% of previous years however analysis by NHS Digital indicates that figures are directly comparable to previous years.

Affordable housing (2)

Andrew Boff: When do you intend to allocate all remaining funds from the £4.82bn affordable housing programme, and on which projects will they be allocated?

The Mayor: The £4.82bn Affordable Housing Programme settlement covers schemes due to start on site to March 2023 and my team will continue to allocate funds to new, deliverable schemes that are proposed by housing providers, where they meet the requirements for the programme. We expect to allocate the funding throughout the course of the programme in line with partner development plans and where proposals deliver to the timeframes for the programme and will review proposals in light of bids submitted for the new AHP 2021-26 programmes.

Affordable housing (1)

Andrew Boff: Can you please confirm whether £535m remains unallocated from the £4.82bn affordable housing funds that the GLA has received from the Government? If not, how much of this funding has now been spent and on which projects?

The Mayor: The overall £4.82bn settlement includes £0.05bn for the Move-On programme to develop homes for people moving on from hostels and refuges. This contributes directly towards meeting the Mayor’s aims for a permanent route off the street for rough sleepers in the capital and support for survivors of domestic abuse. This funding is ring-fenced for move on accommodation and leaves £4.77bn of the AHP 2016-23 settlement for the general affordable housing programmes. As reported to the Budget and Performance Committee in September, the general AH settlement is £4.77bn with headroom of £535m available to allocate to new projects.
The headroom position remains in line with the levels reported previously for the AHP 2016-23 programme as partners review pipeline development plans in preparation for bid submissions for the new AHP 2021-26 programme. At that stage we expect to make programme allocations to partners to take up additional headroom to maximise delivery in the AHP 2016-23 programme alongside longer term proposals for the new funding settlement to 2026.
Alongside discussions for proposals in the current AHP 16-23 and new AHP 21-26 programmes, my team continues to work with partners to maintain delivery across c1,700 live projects, each affected by issues arising from Covid 19 restrictions, wider economic uncertainty and housing organisations reassessing development programmes. Adjustments arising from these are reflected in day to day programme management and through this intensive work, my team has been able to maintain a steady level of allocations ensuring that we continue to remain on track to achieve my housing targets.

The Full Spectrum Report Recommendations

Andrew Boff: What progress have you made with implementing the recommendations of my August 2019 policy report “The Full Spectrum: Making London Autism Friendly”?

The Mayor: At the time of the report, I acknowledged my commitment to reducing inequalities for neuro-diverse and autistic people in London. Our work to make London more Autism-Friendly link to the report’s five themes as follows:

GLA Group Emissions

Shaun Bailey: How much has the GLA Group emitted in emissions for each year since 2016?

The Mayor: How much has the GLA Group emitted in emissions for each year since 2016?
I assume that the question refers to greenhouse gas emissions. The CO2e emissions for the GLA and the GLA group for every year since 2016 are set out below. Under this administration emissions have reduced by 48%, from 1,672,778 in 2015/16 to 1,130,522 tonnes since 2019/20.
City Hall
Trafalgar Square
TfL
London Fire Brigade
M’politan Police
London Legacy Dev’t Corp.
GLA group Total
% reduction from 2015/16
Year
CO2 emissions (tonnes/annum)
2015/16
1,563
120
1,541,000
13,057
115,627
1,411
1,672,778
-
2016/17
1,506
119
1,427,000
13,435
109,039
1,057
1,552,156
-8%
2017/18
1,314
100
1,306,000
13,359
91,064
991
1,412,828
-18%
2018/19
1,067
89
1,146,000
12,175
78,446
4,987
1,242,764
-35%
2019/20
1,003
96
1,040,000
11,413
74,195
3,815
1,130,522
-48%

Met’s Response to IOPC’s Review of Stop and Search

Caroline Pidgeon: I am pleased that the Met accepted all 11 learning recommendations from the IOPC’s October 2020 review of the force’s use of stop and search. In the Met’s response to the review it outlined numerous actions it would be taking – please provide an update on progress that has been made on each of these to date.

The Mayor: I welcome the Independent Office for Police Conduct’s review of stop and search in London. It is absolutely vital that our police service retains the trust and confidence of the communities it serves. Every Londoner, regardless of background, should be able to feel safe, protected and properly served by our police. Through my Action Plan, there will be a completeoverhaul of community scrutiny of police tactics, including introducing stricter oversight of stop and search, use of force and Taser and improved training for police officers. These measures will also ensure that Black communities have a much bigger role in oversight.

Crystal Motorcycle Provision

Keith Prince: Are you aware that at least half a dozen members of City Hall staff use a powered two wheeler to get to work, and do you know why the GLA’s Chief Officer told me when I visited the Crystal that there would be motorcycle provision when there will be none?

The Mayor: Following your discussion with the GLA’s Chief Officer back in the summer, changes were made to the proposals to reflect London Plan policy requirements on motorcycle parking.
We are aware that a number of staff use powered two wheeler vehicles to travel to work. The GLA is preparing a Travel Plan that will include measures to encourage walking, cycling and public transport use by staff and visitors to City Hall. However, should staff or visitors wish to travel to work by powered two wheelers, a number of free of charge dedicated motorcycle parking bays are listed on the London Borough of Newham’s website. This includes bays at Silvertown Way near Canning Town Station, from where staff would be able to walk to The Crystal or take the DLR to Royal Victoria DLR Station.

Cultural Quarter in Ilford

Keith Prince: A resident has contacted me to ask what is your justification for spending £500,000 on the creation of a Cultural Quarter in Ilford?

The Mayor: Ilford faces a variety of challenges. It has relatively high levels of deprivation as well as a growing residential community yet a town centre that has a lack of social and cultural infrastructure. The town centre has a number of dated and disconnected cultural spaces such as the town hall, theatre, cinema and library that provide an opportunity to be activated during the day and evening. LB Redbridge's Spark project started in 2018 and consists of several parts. The first element saw the refurbishment of the Town Hall building into artist workspaces and providing flexible spaces for businesses and communities. Today, all workspaces have been taken up by Ilford’s artist community
The second part of the project is currently under construction and will be a temporary covered market on the council owned car park to the rear of the town hall. More recently, funding of £500K from my Good Growth Accelerator programme, has been provided to support Mercato Ilford’s public programme to provide educational events and activities for the local community. The funding will also support high street and wider town centre improvements including urban greening. This will allow the council to work with local businesses and shop owners to enhance retail and business activity as well as activate the high street. Overall, the project will foster the community spirit of Ilford, bringing people together through art, enterprise, events and food.

Potential increases in air pollution after lockdown eases

Caroline Russell: Concerns have been raised that air pollution is returning to pre-pandemic levels. What proportion of pre-pandemic motor traffic has now returned to London streets?

The Mayor: Reductions in traffic volumes during the pandemic contributed to reductions in the concentrations of air pollutants. This effect is described in Travel in London report 13, between pages 189 and 194 (see: http://content.tfl.gov.uk/travel-in-london-report-13.pdf) alongside traffic trends up to that point (pages 172 to 177). Traffic levels since that analysis have fluctuated considerably over the winter lockdown period and have not yet reached a position of any stability. Traffic volumes on the TLRN still remain below their pre-pandemic levels in outer and inner London, and well below in central London. Transport for London (TfL) will continue to keep these trends under close review over the coming months.

Cyclist Numbers

Keith Prince: How many cyclists were recorded in London in each month from May 2016 to February 2021 in the categories of leisure, commuting and commercial cycling?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) collects cycling volume data for central London (Congestion Charge zone) quarterly, and for inner/outer London annually. TfL does not hold monthly, London-wide records of number of cyclists, nor any cycling volume data split by the proposed categories.
The latest comparable set of London-wide cycling volume estimates were published on Travel in London Report 13 (p.74): http://content.tfl.gov.uk/travel-in-london-report-13.pdf. Following that, the latest inner and outer London figures were published on this press release: https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2021/january/outer-london-sees-22-per-cent-rise-in-cycling-as-new-data-further-highlights-vital-role-of-active-travel
The most up to date series of central London quarterly cycling figures is provided in the appended table.

The Mayor: 1353 Appendix_Cyclist Numbers.docx

Silvertown Tunnel (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: At the Mayor’s Question Time in October you stated:
“my air quality team is considering options for further PM 2.5 monitoring in support of the work already underway. You will be aware that the monitors at the moment do not do that and that is some work we are exploring.”
Please provide an update on this statement and provide a detailed report on the planned levels of air monitoring in Greenwich, Lewisham, Newham and Tower Hamlets.

The Mayor: The Development Consent Order for Silvertown Tunnel requires Transport for London (TfL) to consult on their monitoring plans with the Silvertown Tunnel Implementation Group (STIG), comprising the affected London Boroughs and groups such as Highways England. TfL must have regard to any recommendations or representations made by a member of STIG in response to this consultation. Regular reports and meeting papers from this group are published online (https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/improvements-and-projects/silvertown-tunnel ).
This group has been working with TfL to advise the project team in terms of number and location of monitors and diffusion tubes, and in due course they will review monitoring data, and any mitigation proposals for where pollution levels are not as expected.
TfL does not anticipate that Silvertown will have a significant impact on Particulate Matter, however, given the significance of this pollutant my air quality team is considering options for further PM2.5 monitoring in support of the work already underway on NO2.

Ramifications of the Streetspace Court Case Judgement

Keith Prince: What assessment have you made of the implications of the ruling by Justice Lang that alterations to taxi access to road space in the city are not lawful, and how will you honour the spirit and letter of the ruling?

The Mayor: We were disappointed by the court’s ruling and are seeking to appeal this judgment. Our temporary emergency Streetspace measures are vital to helpsupportboth walking andthe increase in cycling we’ve seen since the pandemic began, reduce the risk of a damaging car-based recovery and enable social distancing and faster journeyson public transport,reducing the risk of infection.We mustn’t get through one public health crisis only to face another caused by congestion and toxic air pollution.
Transport for London (TfL) has carefully considered the implications of the judgment and, subject to the outcome of its appeal, will apply the findings as appropriate going forward, including continuing to take into account the impact on taxis and their passengers.
The judgment considered the lawfulness of a specific temporary scheme at Bishopsgate (A10) and TfL’s interim guidance issued to boroughs.
It is worth noting that no other TfL or borough scheme were challenged in the judgment and therefore these remain lawful. Decisions on new schemes can also continue taking into account the judgment.

Fairer funding settlement for London (1)

Susan Hall: Will Brexit speed up the delivery of a fairer funding settlement for London from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund?

The Mayor: The Government first announced its intention to introduce the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in 2017, with a ‘consultation’ paper to follow in early 2018. No paper was ever issued. Instead, a country-wide ‘pilot’ fund of £220m was only announced by Government late last year. I have written to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to ask that London gets its fair share of that funding.

Fairer funding settlement for London (2)

Susan Hall: Please outline how a fairer funding settlement from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund would benefit disadvantaged Londoners.

The Mayor: Since 2017, I have been asking the Government to detail how it will devolve a fair share of its proposed new UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) to London. The new fund should be at least the size of the £1.1billion European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and European Social Fund (ESF) programmes that we currently manage for London. I have yet to receive a response, and I wrote to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government again on this subject earlier this month.
Were the Government to agree my proposal, hundreds of thousands of disadvantaged Londoners would benefit from business, skills and employment programmes that get people into work, training and support small businesses.
But as things stand, the outgoing ERDF and ESF programmes that support this activity are now almost wholly committed; and there is nothing to replace them.

Tube noise in Islington

Caroline Russell: Constituents tell me that tube noise in their properties in Barnsbury, Islington has a serious impact on their mental health and daily lives. What is preventing Transport for London (TfL) from investing in the necessary changes to tracks that could reduce tube noise?

The Mayor: The Highbury & Islington area remains a key focus for Transport for London (TfL), and my Deputy Mayor for Transport and TfL officers met with local residents and stakeholders a number of times last year.
TfL twice carried out extensive rail grinding in the area last year. This covered approximately 3,500 metres of track between Highbury & Islington and King’s Cross St. Pancras, including both the north and southbound Victoria line tracks. Further extensive grinding will take place again over the next month, and TfL has updated stakeholders and local residents to make them aware of this work.
TfL explored the option of carrying out Deep Tube Reconditioning (DTR) in this area, a highly expensive intervention which would include the installation of a noise-dampening rail fastening. Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic has had a significant impact on TfL’s finances, and there is currently no funding available for DTR work in this area. This will of course remain under review.
TfL will continue to engage closely with local residents in this area to understand and address any issues within its operational and financial constraints, and is due to meet with local residents and stakeholders again in May 2021.

Idling by buses

Caroline Russell: Constituents have raised concerns with me that bus drivers may be leaving engines idling for long periods when at the end of shifts, during lengthy waits at stops or when changing drivers. Could you briefly outline what guidance Transport for London (TfL) provides to bus operators for drivers on when to turn off their engines, and how this is monitored?

The Mayor: Drivers are directed to switch off the engine when they come onto a stand and as soon as they can in a bus station if they are not continuing in service. Bus operators encourage this with training and depot posters and understand this is important both to minimise the impact of their vehicles on the community and avoid wasting fuel. This advice is reinforced in the ‘Big Red Book’ manual that Transport for London (TfL) issues to all its bus drivers.
London is using the latest technologies to eliminate idling as much as possible. Some bus makes and models switch off automatically if the accelerator is not being pressed, and our current fleet of 445 zero-emission buses, which will grow to 700 by the end of this year, produce no tailpipe emissions at all. All diesel buses in the core fleet have now been lifted to the ultra-clean Euro VI engine standard, which cuts the most harmful pollutants like particulate matter and oxides of nitrogen by up to 80 and 95 per cent respectively.
TfL staff monitor bus stations and main changeover points and will intervene if they see non-compliance. If complaints are received for locations without consistent monitoring, operational staff will visit them and tackle the issue. If you or your constituents have specific examples of locations and times where idling is an issue, TfL would be grateful to receive details.

Number of apprenticeship opportunities in London

Caroline Russell: The Centre for London reports that there are half as manyapprenticeshipstarts in London per 1,000 jobs, compared with the rest of the UK. What plans do you have to improve this situation?

The Mayor: London has historically had fewer apprenticeships starts than other English regions after population size is taken into account.
This is partly due to the industries that make up a significant part of London’s economy being slower to adopt and grow apprenticeships programmes.
I established the London Progression Collaboration to address this. The joint pilot with IPPR, supported by the JP Morgan Foundation, has created hundreds of apprenticeships and facilitated the redistribution ofover £4 million ofunspent levy funding to the capital’s small businesses.
The GLA group also continues to offer apprenticeships paid at the London Living Wage and through my recovery missions, I plan to use initiatives such as my planned academies model to support those most affected by the pandemic into quality apprenticeships in priority sectors.
I continue to call for the devolution of powers and funding to establish a London Apprenticeship Service to support the capital’s businesses to create more apprenticeships and close the gap with other regions.

Skills providers online offer

Caroline Russell: With regard tothe£9 million fundyoulaunched in May 2020 to help skills providers switch to remote training,could you tell me:a) how many people have accessed these courses, and b) howmany have found new employment since then or set up their own business?

The Mayor: Under the £9 million Skills for Londoners COVID-19 Response Fund, some 6,400 additional Londoners accessed training to support their immediate skills needs during the pandemic.
In addition, the Fund supported 58 capacity building projects across London’s FE sector to enable providers to adapt their delivery of education and training to respond to the impact of COVID-19.
Employment and business set-up data are not available in respect of this Fund.

Changing Places Toilets (1)

Caroline Russell: The Government has announced a £30 million investment in new Changing Places toilets for England. What are your current plans for investment in new Changing Places toilets?

The Mayor: I welcome the Government’s investment in new Changing Places toilets. This is a positive step in improving access for disabled people who require assisted-use facilities. I encourage London’s local authorities to ‘opt in’ to this scheme to bid for a proportion of the new investment and boost the number of Changing Places facilities in their communities.
My London Plan Policy S6 highlights the importance of Changing Places toilets, noting provision can open up new areas for people with profound and multiple impairments, removing a barrier that lack of provision can create. The policy requires new large-scale developments that are open to the public, and large areas of public realm, should provide free ‘Changing Places’ toilets. We will continue to promote investment in Changing Places provision through the London Plan policies and our Good Growth funded projects.

Changing Places toilets (2)

Caroline Russell: The Government has announced a £30 million investment in new Changing Places toilets for England. Could you provide a list of Changing Places toilets the GLA currently provides, including the borough in which they are located?

The Mayor: The Government’s new £30million fund for new Changing Places toilets is a welcome investment to support inclusion and greater accessibility for disabled Londoners and visitors to our city.
Without a Changing Places facility, staff and visitors to City Hall may be limited in accessing this important public building. Hence why there is currently one Changing Places toilet at City Hall, located in the London Borough of Southwark. We are also installing one at The Crystal, in the London Borough of Newham, ready for its occupation as the new home for the Mayor and London Assembly.

Londoners in debt

Caroline Russell: In your answer to my questions2021/0023 and2021/0484 you stated that the London Recovery board is working to support Londoners in debt and that you were funding the
Debt Free London Partnership’s free debt advice helpline to be delivered 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout January, February and March.
Could you tell me if you plan to fund the free debt advice helpline beyond March?

The Mayor: I’m committed to working with partners across the capital to do all I can to support Londoners experiencing financial hardship and struggling with the burden of debt.
The support for Debt Free London to allow them to operate their helpline 24/7 is intended to be short-term in nature, reflecting the increased pressures brought about by the winter lockdown. With the roadmap out of lockdown now published, it is not anticipated that there will be a need for ongoing funding for this extended service after March.
However, should the situation change, and it becomes clear that further support is required, any funding proposal will be subject to a new decision drawing on the 2021-22 budget.

Rapid charging points

Susan Hall: Does London currently have sufficient charging points to meet the needs of cabbies & other drivers driving electric vehicles in the capital?

The Mayor: Data indicates London’s current provision does meet the needs of taxi drivers and other drivers driving electric vehicles in the capital. In the latest report Transport for London (TfL) received from Zap-Map,as of 4 January 2021,Londonhas a total of6,161 charge point devices (4,437 slow, 2,663 fast and 522 rapid) representing26 per cent of the UK’s total number of charge points.Of the311rapid chargersin Londondelivered by TfL,84 of these are dedicated totaxi drivers.
In 2018, I launched an Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Taskforce whichhelped bring forward aDelivery Planfor London’s EV infrastructure, published in 2019.In this, TfL analysedrapid charge point usage and found that, from data taken in March 2019,27 per centof chargers currently average lessthan one charge per day. There are also asignificant number of chargers that areused very frequently, with 33 per centaveraging five or more charges perday and the most popular chargersbeing used for up to an average of 17charges per day (or 10.5 hours ofplug-in time).Overall,the network was not saturated at the time of analysis, when TfL had delivered only 178 out of 300 rapid charge points.
Sincethenmuch more charge point delivery has taken place andmy officers haveproduced a dashboard of EV chargingpoints and utilisation across London, accessible to all London Boroughsvia the London Data Store.Utilisation is lower than before, which ispartly due to lower taxi demandas a result ofCovid-relatedimpacts, especially during lockdowns.However, TfL is now doing new work to investigate London’s overall charge point need, given recent changes such as theplannedphase out ofInternal Combustion Engine(ICE)vehicles sold in the UK by 2030.

The Public Order Act 1936

Peter Whittle: On 1 August 2020, the ‘Afrikan Emancipation Day Reparations March’ took place in Brixton, with individuals parading in the streets in black uniforms and stab vests. As you will be aware, the Public Order Act 1936 prohibits the wearing of paramilitary and political uniforms in this country. I am assuming that the senior Metropolitan Police officer in charge that day was also aware of this law. However, I feel that once again the police are sending out the signal that laws will be enforced differently for individual communities in London. This policy has profound implications for the future of policing in this city and indicates to me that the police have forgotten or abandoned the basic principles of policing. What has gone wrong with the leadership of the Metropolitan Police?

The Mayor: The Met had no advance warning that a group calling themselves the ‘Forever Family Force’ (FFF) would be attending the Afrikan Emancipation Day celebrations on Saturday 1 August 2020. This was the first time that the Met had encountered the group at any community event or protest in London.
The Met command team on the day recognised that their style of dress and the way in which they were marching could potentially constitute an offence under the Public Order Act 1936, and an investigation was opened the same day. The FFF were informed of this directly and it was made clear that any future repetition of the same kind of display could also be a breach of that legislation.
This investigation is now concluded and a case has been given to the Crown Prosecution Service for them to determine whether they believe any offences under the Public Order Act 1936 have occurred and whether the Attorney General will grant approval to charge which is a prerequisite for a charge for this offence.
In subsequent events the same group have returned, but due to successful engagement by the Met they have not formed up and marched, nor have they worn uniforms, armoured vests or berets.

Reduction of NOx taxi emissions

Susan Hall: Is there evidence to date, demonstrating that your £24m cleaner vehicles funding will reduce NOx taxi emissions by as much as 20% in the capital?

The Mayor: In February 2019, I announced an additional £24millionof Greater London Authority (GLA) funding to help more taxi drivers switch to cleaner, greener vehicles as part of the enhanced delicensing scheme, totalling £42m.
Analysis undertaken prior to the pandemic estimated that the phased approach to reducing taxi age limits alongside the delicensing fund had reduced taxi emissions by 41 per cent compared to 2018.This demonstrates that these initiatives have rapidly escalated improvements in taxi emissions and alongside increased ZEC uptake will mean we are back on track to meet the 2025 legal requirement.
To achieve legal compliance, we need to reduce NOx emissions from London taxis by 65 per cent by 2025 compared to 2013 levels.

Harmful emissions public consultation (1)

Susan Hall: What was the outcome of your 10-week public consultation in 2019, asking Londoners for their views on changing the age limits of black cabs?

The Mayor: The outcome of the consultation carried out in 2019 regarding taxi age limits can be found at:
https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/tph/taxi-age-limits/user_uploads/taxi-age-limit-decision-paper.pdf

Harmful emissions public consultation (2)

Susan Hall: In the wake of your harmful emissions public consultation, is there evidence that it has contributed to speeding up the process of the dirtiest vehicles being replaced with zero-emission capable cabs?

The Mayor: London’s taxi trade has led the way in the early adoption of Zero Emission Capable (ZEC) technology. Transport for London (TfL) has now licensed3,968ZEC taxis, which has meant there aremore cleaner, greener taxis on London’s streets.
The delicensing scheme continues to help remove the dirtiest taxis from the fleet. It has proven very popular withover 4,100vehiclestaken off the roadsto date.There are also grants of £7,500 to help those who wish to purchase a ZEC taxi.
As of 1 November 2020, vehicles over 14 years old are no longeroperatingin London. On 1 November this year, the age limit will tighten to ensure that no vehicles over 13 years old will be operating in London. This reduction in taxi age limits ensures that we are on track to meetthe required reduction in emissions by 2025.

Zero emission black taxi fleet

Susan Hall: How far off is London from having a 100% zero emission black taxi fleet?

The Mayor: As of9March 2021,3,968Zero Emission Capable(ZEC)Motorised Hackney Carriages have been licenced in London,including 76 Dynamo Electric Taxis.As of 7March 2021,thetotal number of taxi vehicleslicencedis13,577.The taxi fleet isthereforecurrently29per centzero emissioncapable.It is important to rememberthat taxi licence numbers fluctuate weekly and will have been affected by the pandemic andreduced activity caused bythe temporary Covid-related reductions in travel demand.
London’s taxi trade has led the way in the early adoption of ZEC technology,encouragedbyan enhanced delicensing scheme, a £7,500 grant for the purchase of a ZEC taxi as well as an attractive delicencing grant,andthephased taxi age limit reductionwhichisremovingthe oldest and most pollutingtaxisfromLondon’s streets.

Homelessness and Women Leaving Prison (1)

Murad Qureshi: A recent report by the Safe Homes for Women Leaving Prison initiative found that up to 6 in 10 women leaving prison are condemned to homelessness and that this problem is particularly acute in London. The ‘duty to refer’ anyone at risk of homelessness on release to their local authority is failing. Will you undertake an assessment of the effectiveness of the duty to refer in the Homelessness Reduction Act for vulnerable women leaving prison across London boroughs given the specific needs and circumstances of this group?

The Mayor: Close cooperation between public bodies and local authority homelessness services is vital to ensuring that vulnerable people such as women leaving prison get the support they need and do not fall into homelessness. I do not have any power to shape or enforce the statutory duty to refer but I strongly support local authorities working together with prisons and probation services (as well as other public bodies) to get help to those facing homelessness, including ensuring there are clear referral processes.
A recent MHCLG evaluation of the implementation of the Homelessness Reduction Act identified some of the challenges to successfully implementing the duty to refer, which included inadequate resources. The government must address the shortcomings found and, as I have repeatedly highlighted, adequately resource local authority homelessness services to be able to effectively meet the duties that this legislation places on them, including assisting those referred to them under the duty to refer.

Outstanding Congestion Charge

Murad Qureshi: With the outstanding congestion charge due from diplomats based in London at their various Embassies & High Commissions can you give an update on the legal action you are taking to recoup this debt?

The Mayor: Please see Mayor’s Question 2021/ 0935.

Accessible Bus Stops

Alison Moore: How many bus stops are there in London and how many of them are accessible? Furthermore, what plans, if any, do you have to ensure all bus stops are accessible?

The Mayor: Making London a more accessible place is a priority for me and for Transport for London (TfL). TfL has worked closely with the London boroughs to increase the number of bus stops that are fully accessible and will continue to do so.
Currently there are 19,275 bus stops owned by Transport for London.
The latest data shows that 94.1 per cent of fixed bus stops within the London boundary(where responsibility lies with TfL) are fully accessible. However, given the constant changes to the highways and bus services, TfL believes that this figure has since risen to over 95 per cent and that the next full audit of bus stops will confirm this.

Outer London

Nicky Gavron: How have your planning policies supported inclusive growth in Outer London?

The Mayor: The development of my London Plan was informed by the work of the Outer London Commission and puts into practice many of its recommendations. The London Plan identifies new Opportunity Areas in outer London, with substantial capacity for new jobs and homes, alongside forthcoming and potential transport improvements. It also supports outer London high streets, town centres and Strategic Outer London Development Centres - places where commercial activity should be focused, building on local economic strengths.
All of this is underpinned by the Good Growth principles in the Plan, which ensure that as development comes forward it provides social infrastructure, good environments, healthy streets and open spaces that will ensure outer London continues to be an attractive place to live. Promoting development in well-connected areas, and improved connections by public transport, cycling and walking will also help ensure that all Londoners can access opportunities across the capital.
Inclusive growth also means new development bringing genuinely affordable housing, and I have made it clear that GLA funding will only be available for estate regeneration projects if residents have had a clear say in the plans and support them going ahead.

Tier 2 in London (2)

Leonie Cooper: What support is the GLA providing London’s businesses under the latest Tier 2 restrictions announced on 26 November 2020? Can you break this down by sector?

The Mayor: London was only under Tier 2 restrictions for a short period of time during December 2020. During that time my London Business Hub continued to support businesses with one to one advice sessions, online guidance and other support programmes delivered through the business hub. The top sectors supported during this time with 1:1 advice were the food and drink, creative industries, retail and wholesale, and education sectors. Due to the very limited time under the Tier 2 restrictions, it is not possible to provide a more detailed breakdown.

LFPA and fossil fuels

Leonie Cooper: Please provide an update on your commitment to divest the London Pension Fund Authority from fossil fuels – is divestment now complete?

The Mayor: I have committed to take all possible steps to divest the London Pension Fund Authority (LPFA) of its investments in fossil fuel industries. Whilst the LPFA is independent from the GLA, I have worked with the Fund to divest GLA cash assets from fossil fuels and develop a climate change policy for the fund that includes divestment., Over this administration term the Fund has reduced their listed equity investments in direct extractive fossil fuel by over 90% from £43.6 million to £2.9 million. Examples of companies it has divested from include ExxonMobil, Coal India, BP and Shell.As at 31 December 2020, the LPFA’s listed equity investments in direct extractive fossil fuel companies was £3.8 million, equivalent to 0.06% of the Fund. This represents a reduction of over 80% since 31 December 2017, when the LPFA’s listed equity investments in direct extractive fossil fuel companies was £20.4 million, equivalent to 0.36% of the Fund
On top of this, I have been leading the way in encouraging systemic changes to investment policy from London’s institutional investors by championing divestment of funds from fossil fuels and into climate and green investments. In London I have led the call for boroughs to progress their divestment plans and thirteen London boroughs are now taking action to divest their pension funds. Internationally I have been using my role in C40 Cities to support other world cities navigate a path to divestment. Together with New York City I have called on fellow mayors of the world’s leading cities to join us in divesting city pension funds from fossil fuel assets, and we published a divestment tool kit for cities in 2020 to support this.

London Plan Annual Monitoring Report (2)

Andrew Boff: Do you consider it acceptable for your Deputy Mayors or Advisers to quote figures in Assembly committee meetings from GLA reports that have not yet been published?

The Mayor: We have a principle of transparency and openness of information and I agree that information should be publicly accessible wherever possible. In addition to publication of the 16th AMR, we are also looking at what additional, more up to date information can be put into the public domain prior to the 17th AMR being published.
Officers would be happy to work directly with you to publish any other information where possible, such as data quoted in Assembly committee meetings or similar public fora. You will also be aware that there is a significant amount of data available beyond the AMR, such as separate housing reporting (Housing in London 2020) and the London Datastore. In future this will also include information from the new Planning London Datahub which is now accessible in through the website.

Disabled Representation on the Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm

Andrew Boff: What representation is there for disabled people on the Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm?

The Mayor: I am unable to publish this information as this would be in contravention of the Data Protection Act 2018.

Stop and Search

Peter Whittle: On 26 February 2021, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services published its report into the police use of stop and search powers. It raised the prospect of abandoning stop and search for drugs altogether, stating that damage may outweigh the benefits. ‘While suspicions about drugs are stated as the reason in the majority of the half a million stop and searches in England and Wales annually, illicit substances were found on only one in four occasions.’ Does the Metropolitan Police regard one in four as an effective detection rate?

The Mayor: I welcome the HMICFRS report, which supports the actions I have put forward in my Plan for Transparency, Accountability and Trust in Policing. It is vital that our police service retains the trust and confidence of the communities it serves.
The College of Policing has been very clear that it is not good practice for an officer to stop people based on the smell of cannabis alone. In addition, the Independent Office for Police Conduct’s (IOPC) review of a sample of Met Police stop and search complaints made multiple learning recommendations, which the Commissioner has accepted in full.
The data referred to in the report is the positive outcome rate, which indicates what action has been taken against an individual, for example arrest, rather than a detection rate, which would relate to the solving of a specific crime. It is too simplistic to consider the positive outcome rate in isolation. HMICFRS have stated that the failure to uncover any wrongdoing during a stop and search isn’t necessarily a failure. I support the use of intelligence-led Stop and search, which has an important part to play in keeping our streets safe, but the important consideration is that it must be lawful and proportionate.

Affordable Housing and Viability Supplementary Planning Guidance (1)

Susan Hall: Since the launch of your Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) in 2017, please demonstrate how this has since facilitated the increase in levels of affordable housing in the capital, as well as having speeded up the decisions in the planning system.

The Mayor: My Affordable Housing and Viability SPG has helped to increase affordable housing in new developments through the innovative ‘Threshold Approach’. This has incentivised developers to increase affordable housing above the low levels secured in previous years, enabling applications to progress faster. During the period 2018 to 2020 referable schemes that followed the Fast Track Route on average, progressed 30 per cent faster than viability tested schemes. Meanwhile, affordable housing levels across approved referable applications have risen from 25 per cent in 2016 to 35 per cent in 2020. The average level per scheme increased to 41 per cent by habitable room in 2020, with more than three quarters of referable schemes in 2019 and 2020 providing 35 per cent or more affordable housing.
The SPG also includes detailed guidance to ensure that where lower levels of affordable housing are proposed, developers’ viability evidence is robustly assessed. This has helped to ensure that overpayments for land are no longer used as a reason for reducing affordable housing. Viability information is also now routinely published by boroughs, despite developers arguing for many years that this was confidential.

Fares Freeze

Alison Moore: Following MQ 2018/5346 are you in a position to provide details on the actual value of the fare freeze over the four years covering 2017 to 2020?

The Mayor: My decision to freeze fares has saved families in London up to £200.

Affordable Housing & Viability Supplementary Planning Guidance (6)

Susan Hall: Further to the launch of your Supplementary Planning Guidance, have TfL followed through on their commitment to deliver 50% affordable housing across their development programme? If not, why have they failed to do so?

The Mayor: Across its portfolio Transport for London is achieving its target of 50 per cent affordable housing on the sites it has brought forward since May 2016.

20.4m violence reduction fund (1)

Susan Hall: Please outline how the £20.4m of funding you pledged in 2019 has since facilitated measures to tackle violence in the capital.

The Mayor: In 19/20 the VRU invested £14.8m in projects and programmes designed to stop the spread of violence which included putting youth workers in hospitals across London, tackling school exclusions across 16 boroughs, training doctors to better identify and support victims of domestic violence, supporting grassroots organisations across London and funding to help all 32 boroughs reduce violence.
In 20/21 the VRU developed their work and commissioned 126 programmes which have reached over 80,000 people and invested £19.7m into interventions, expanding its programme of work with parents and families, in schools and PRUs, afterschool activities, with hospitals and the police, with local authorities through localised violence reduction plans, grassroots local activities, with young people themselves, and with the youth practitioners that support them.
The VRU will be publishing its first Annual Report in late spring 2021 which will provide a comprehensive update on the work of the Unit since its inception.

Youth workers trained by the Violence Reduction Unit

Siân Berry: In a meeting of the Police and Crime Committee on 24 February 2021, the Assembly heard from Lib Peck, the director of the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), that the VRU was involved in training youth workers. Could you tell me: a) the number of training programmes, b) the number of youth workers trained, c) where VRU youth workers have been deployed, and d) how they offer continuity of service and contact to the young people they engage with?

The Mayor: My Violence Reduction Unit is prioritising investment to those who hold key trusted relationships with young people most at risk of exploitation and violence. Frontline youth workers have the relationships with young people to deliver early interventions that can make all the difference to a young person’s future. ‘Rise Up’ launched on 30th September 2020 and is led by London Youth in partnership with Leap Confronting Conflict and Clore Social Leadership. Youth leaders receive training and development – including modules on safeguarding, mental health and employment opportunities – to act as a community-led first line of defence for young people most at risk. Full details of the leadership programme can be found online at: Rise Up: Youth Practitioners Leadership Programme. The programme currently has 94 practitioners representing organisations across 27 boroughs and who are directly supporting young people within their communities.

Green New Deal expert advisory panel

Caroline Russell: Who are the members of your Green New Deal expert advisory panel?

The Mayor: As part of my efforts to drive forward London’s green recovery, I have established a “Green New Deal Expert Advisory Group” to provide strategic advice on the implementation of the Green New Deal mission and support work to embed sustainability in London’s recovery.
The group, co-chaired by my Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, Shirley Rodrigues, and Mayor of Hackney Philip Glanville, brings together a diverse group of experts from community, business and NGOs who are able to bring different perspectives, experience and insights from their sectors. The current membership, which has been agreed in discussions with London Councils and GLA is set out below.
We expect to add to membership as the Group evolves. Invitees to March’s expert advisory group are:
Name
Organisation (area of expertise)
Shirley Rodrigues (Co-chair)
Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy
Philip Glanville (Co-chair)
Mayor of Hackney – Chair London Councils Transport and Environment Committee
Ashok Sinha
London Sustainable Development Commission – Sustainable Development
Chaitanya Kumar
New Economics Foundation – Green New Deal
Jazmin Burgess
C40 - Cities Climate Leadership Group - International
Jeanne Capey
Environment Agency - Environment
Joss Garman
European Climate Foundation - Climate
Katarzyna Szwarc
Grantham Institute, London School of Economics – Sustainable Finance and Just Transition
Beccy Speight
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and London Recovery Board member – Environment
Niall Bolger
London Chief Executive Committee - Lead advisor on environment for London Councils
Polly Billington
UK100 Cities Network – UK local governments (climate and clean energy)
Rishi Madlani
LB – Camden - Sustainable Finance
Sam Gurney
Trades Union Congress – Just Transition
Syed Ahmed
Energy for London – Renewable Energy
Wayne Hubbard
ReLondon – Circular Economy

Transport for London policy on biodiversity (4)

Caroline Russell: Contractors working to build the Silvertown Road Tunnel propose to remove several trees. How does this removal fit with your environmental policies and your declaration of London as a National Park City?

The Mayor: Transport for London’s (TfL’s) contractor for the Silvertown Tunnel project, Riverlinx, recently applied to discharge a landscaping requirement under the Development Consent Order for the scheme to the Royal Borough of Greenwich. Its application was not asking for permission to remove trees, but to identify the trees to be retained, alongside measures to protect those trees during construction.
Some trees will need to be removed to construct the Silvertown Tunnel. The Development Consent Order – granted by the Secretary of State in 2018 – confers powers to remove trees where necessary for construction. TfL, Riverlinx and I are committed to ensuring thattrees are only removed when absolutely necessary. Replanting will be carried out as close to the original location as possible at the earliest opportunity.
Despite the need to remove some trees, the Silvertown Tunnel project will lead to a net biodiversity gain in the area once complete. Plans to ensure TfL achieves this aim will be detailed within the permanent landscaping proposals, currently being developed. These will be consulted upon with the local authority and other stakeholders, in line with TfL’s Biodiversity Action Plan and Mitigation Strategy for the scheme.
This biodiversity gain from a major investment in the road network comes alongside TfL’s continued efforts to increase its street trees, with circa 1,400 trees planted across the road network and nearby land in 2019-20. While the pandemic has impacted TfL’s ability to plant new trees, it is aiming to get back on track to support a green recovery from the pandemic. Overall, I am confident that TfL’s plans align with my environmental policies and my declaration of London as a National Park City.

Analysis of noise pollution after lockdown eases

Caroline Russell: During the past year there have been reports on the change in air pollution due to reduced motor traffic. Are you producing any similar studies to analyse the impact on noise pollution from changes to motor traffic and flights over communities in London?

The Mayor: Transport for London is not conducting any specific studies to analyse the impact that the pandemic has had on noise pollution resulting from changes in motor traffic or flights in and around London.

Covid-19 Deaths and Bus Depots

Keith Prince: In your partial responses to Questions 2021/0127 and 2020/2533, you state that “TfL is unable to provide a line –by-line account of each death in service due to data protection and out of respect for the privacy of the families of the deceased” but that is not the information I requested. I have requested that you provide bus driver deaths from Covid-19 by “place of work” which includes both the Bus Operator and the Bus Operator’s Depot associated with the victims. Given that the Bus Safety Data TfL publishes every quarter shows the month, location, Bus Route Number, the garage the bus operated from and sex, age and severity of injury details for the thousands of victims killed or injured in Bus Safety Incidents involving TfL buses since January 2014, do you accept that TfL must be in a position to provide the information I’ve asked for about the deaths of bus drivers from Covid-19 without violating any data protection provisions or the privacy of the families of the deceased and will you instruct it to do so?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor’s Question 2021/0527 for a summary of bus driver deaths broken down by operator. As stated in that response, Transport for London is unable to provide a line by line account of each death in service from illness rather than road safety due to data protection and out of respect for the privacy of the families of the deceased.

Protections for police officers

Steve O'Connell: What progress has been made on providing greater protections for police officers?

The Mayor: Our officers work tirelessly to keep us safe and we in turn should keep them safe. It is appalling that we have seen a rise in attacks on our officers. Anyone who attacks police officers and staff should expect to feel the full force of the law. I invested an additional £1million in increasing the provisions around Tasers, I have also overseen the biggest ever rollout of body-worn video and ensured that all frontline officers have spit and bite guards following a successful trial in custody suites.
I lobbied to have the existing Assault on Emergency Workers Legislations increased from 6 to 12 month, and I continue to call on Government to uplift to two years which reflects the seriousness with which assaults on emergency workers should be viewed.
I have also welcomed the publication of the National Police Chiefs Council report to improve officers and staff safety and I am assured that the MPS are fully engaged in the review and will ensure that improvement are made where appropriate.

Location of dedicated ward officers after closure of Belgravia Police Station

Murad Qureshi: During the closure of Belgravia police station, we were told that the dedicated ward officer team will be relocatedto a base close to their wards and that this move will be made by the end of this financial year. What are the options being considered when we all know that Hyde Park police station is too far away from where residents actually live to warrant serious consideration?

The Mayor: When Belgravia Police Station closes, it is planned to move DWO teams to TFL accommodation at 200 Buckingham Palace Road, SW1, where they will co-locate with the MPS team based there and will be within a 20 minute journey of their wards.

Vaccine hesitancy

Onkar Sahota: Can you update me on the work of the London Strategic Coordination Group on vaccine hesitancy?

The Mayor: The Strategic Coordination Group coordinates the vaccine hesitancy response across London. This includes proactive communication and engagement, promoting events, gap analysis, and evaluation of effectiveness to ensure communications are reaching those most disproportionately affected in the most effective way.
An online repository is maintained for partners to share with their communities, containing content to address vaccine hesitancy for different groups.
The Keep London Safe communications toolkit includes core messaging, posters, social and digital communications assets and translations, specifically focused on the most vaccine hesitant communities.
A vaccination education toolkit has been produced and shared with schools across London, which includes materials to explain what a vaccine is, encourage discussion in the classroom and give young people information to reassure parents/older relatives about the safety of the vaccine.
An events toolkit and tracker has been launched and shared with London boroughs who are holding vaccination community engagement events, to capture feedback and insight and to ensure events are promoted locally and to London-wide communities.

London Vision

Onkar Sahota: How has COVID-19 impacted your collaborative work on the ‘London Vision’?

The Mayor: COVID-19 has been the biggest challenge our city has faced in peace time, impacting on every area of health and care and having a profound effect on every Londoner. In order to respond, partners have accelerated and further strengthened health and care collaboration, building on the London Vision for new ways of place-based partnership working. For example, I am hugely proud of work by the London boroughs, NHS and GLA as well as the voluntary and community sector to respond to the needs of homeless Londoners.
The impacts of COVID-19 have not been felt equally and the pandemic has exposed and widened already entrenched inequalities. Health equity is a golden thread running through London’s response to COVID-19, our recovery and the London Vision. The London Health Board has established a Health Equity Group to ensure that lessons are learned and applied across our future work.
The London Health Board considered an update on the Vision at our meeting in October 2020, which noted a range of action on air pollution, homeless health, tobacco control, violence reduction, suicide and end-of-life care.

Loneliness and Isolation

Onkar Sahota: How are you supporting Londoners affected by loneliness and isolation, which has been heightened as a result of the pandemic?

The Mayor: In partnership with Thrive LDN my team developed wellbeing resources, including guidance on how to stay connected, which were distributed to stakeholders and digitally isolated Londoners. My support for public initiatives (e.g. the Great Winter Get Together) and talking about my own struggles, have been part of a drive to raise awareness and reduce stigma associated with loneliness. My team has also commissioned research, due out this Summer, on hidden loneliness in London and among those disproportionally impacted by COVID-19.
Importantly, I want to support the efforts of those who stepped up to help London’s communities. Through my Stronger Communities Fund 45 grants were awarded and out of the £10m I contributed toLondon Community Response, £1.4m went to organisations working to reduce isolation and promote good mental health and wellbeing. My team has also commissioned a toolkit to help local groups deliver responses that build relationships within London’s communities.

Healthy Start Scheme access

Onkar Sahota: Changes to the immigration rules and to the eligibility criteria for welfare in 2012 means many Londoners who are lawfully in the UK cannot access the Healthy Start Scheme which provides poorer families with fresh fruit, vegetables, formula and vitamins for babies and young children. Will you add your voice to call on the Government to review this?

The Mayor: It is not right that thousands of Londoners and their children are missing out on mainstream welfare benefits including Healthy Start vouchers simply because of their immigration status. Throughout the pandemic, I have repeatedly called on national government to suspend the No Recourse to Public Funds condition to enable people to get the support they need.
I have also strongly advocated for the National Food Strategy and Marcus Rashford’s End Child Food Poverty campaign’s recommendations to extend the Healthy Start Scheme to all young mothers and families with children under the age of 4 in receipt of Universal Credit.
My London Food Strategy outlined my commitment to work with partners to support an increase in the uptake of Healthy Start Vouchers and as part of this, I have supported ten local authorities to develop Good Food Retail Plans and Projects, many of which have incorporated actions to improve Healthy Start uptake.

Belgravia police station

Tony Devenish: Can you please update me on plans to develop all or part of Belgravia police station?

The Mayor: There are no plans for MOPAC to develop all or part of Belgravia Police Station.

Unspent government monies for Rough Sleepers in London

Murad Qureshi: Millions in cash intended to help rough sleepers through the winter has gone unspent according to remarks from the Housing Minister. Can you please tell us how much was unspent from the Cold Weather and Project Programme in London by the Government?

The Mayor: This is not information that I have access to. The Cold Weather Fund and Protect Programme allocated to the GLA has been and will continue to be spent on the rough sleeping COVID-19 response.

Government’s Rough Sleeping Advisory Panel

Murad Qureshi: When was the most recent time the GLA participated in a meeting of the Government’s Rough Sleeping Advisory Panel? Can you update us on what was discussed?

The Mayor: The last meeting took place on 3 November 2020, which Tom Copley attended. It was chaired by Kelly Tolhurst MP (then Minister for Rough Sleeping and Housing). The main item that the group discussed was the impact of the COVID-19 response and the next steps for this approach, particularly in relation to the winter period.

London Transition Board (3)

Leonie Cooper: We now know that the new variants of COVID-19 were known about in September 2020. Did the Government Ministers inform the London Transition Board of the new variants when they said infection rates were plummeting in November 2020?

The Mayor: New variants were not discussed at the London Transition Board in September or November. By November the Strategic Coordination Group had been stood-up again to deal with the second wave.

Affordable Housing (5)

Leonie Cooper: How many affordable homes were under construction, in May 2016, in:
Wandsworth?


Merton?

The Mayor: The Planning Datahub holds data on all determined schemes and includes information on when they commenced on site. Some more detailed analysis is also published in the annual monitoring reports which are available www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/planning/implementing-london-plan/monitoring-london-plan.

Affordable Housing (4)

Leonie Cooper: How many affordable homes are planned over the next 5 years for Merton?

The Mayor: The Planning Datahub holds data on all determined schemes for Merton and therefore what is currently in the ‘planning pipeline’. A more detailed analysis is also published in the annual monitoring reports which are available at www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/planning/implementing-london-plan/monitoring-london-plan
The latest London Plan Annual Monitoring Report shows that there was net a total of 402 affordable units in the pipeline as at 31 March 2019 in Merton.

Affordable Housing (3)

Leonie Cooper: How many affordable homes are planned over the next 5 years for Wandsworth?

The Mayor: The Planning Datahub holds data on all determined schemes for Wandsworth and therefore what is currently in the ‘planning pipeline’. A more detailed analysis is also published in the annual monitoring reports which are available at www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/planning/implementing-london-plan/monitoring-london-plan
The latest London Plan Annual Monitoring Report shows that there was a net total of 3,472 affordable units in the pipeline as at 31 March 2019 in Wandsworth.

Winter snow and ice removal (2)

Caroline Russell: What assessment do you have of the environmental impact of chemicals used to remove ice and snow in London, and have you explored any options to reduce these impacts?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) generally uses natural rock salt on its roads to help prevent icy conditions and keep roads safe for use. This is standard practice in the UK.
In addition, a liquid de-icer product called ‘Safecote SupaMix Clear’ is used on some bridges, structures and cycle lanes. This product is blended from natural, environmentally friendly ingredients and is used because it limits corrosion on metal structures. It also works better for cycle lanes, where vehicle tyres are less able to rub grit into the road surface.
The Department for Transport recommends the use of salt on roads in the UK and TfL has not explored other products.

Highbury Corner (4)

Caroline Russell: Constituents have complained to me about a consistent puddle at Highbury Corner’s new pedestrianised area, recently frozen over, requiring gritting to prevent slips and falls. This has left two new saplings sitting in two inches of salty water. Are you concerned for the wellbeing of these trees, and when will the drainage issues related to the sustainable drainage tanks at Highbury Corner be fixed?

The Mayor: Transport for London’s (TfL) Arboriculture team will be visiting the site to survey the trees to check that they are in good health. TfL has also investigated the drainage issue but was unable to find any faults with the system itself.
During January 2021, rainfall levels in England were at 150 per cent of the normal average according to the Met Office January 2021 Climate Summary. This put significant pressure on drainage systems across London.

Pave the Way

Caroline Russell: The pan-impairment organisation Transport for All has published a thoughtful piece of research, Pave the Way, which hears the voices of disabled people and their experiences with Streetspace schemes. It is clear that: “‘Normal’ – what we had before –
wasn’t accessible enough,” and that: “active travel must be accessible travel,” and the report calls for a new model of consultation to be undertaken, which involves disabled experts from the outset. What changes will you make to consultation processes for Healthy Streets so that they are inclusive?

The Mayor: Problems of poor air quality, traffic congestion and collisions in which people are killed or seriously injured affect us all. Consultations on schemes which seek to address these serious issues should therefore clearly be accessible to everyone.Transport for All’s ‘Pave the Way’ report provides clear recommendations for engaging and consulting disabled people.Transport for London is looking very carefully at the report will share their thoughts with Transport for All in due course. I recommend that Boroughs do the same.

Gallows Corner

Keith Prince: When should my constituents expect progress on Gallows Corner?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has been investigating the best options for Gallows Corner, recognising the need to deliver a scheme at the interchange that represents value for money and is suitable for the location, within the existing constraints. TfL is finalising the business case submission to the Department for Transport (DfT), which it is hoped will secure the necessary funding to progress the scheme. The discussions with the DfT are ongoing, and TfL hopes to establish the next steps and a delivery programme over the coming months.

London & Partners Delegations to China

Shaun Bailey: How many London and Partners delegations to China have there been since May 2016?

The Mayor: London has a long-standing relationship with the Chinese people, and not just because of the Chinese community we have here in London. In keeping with this history and the GLA’s statutory duty to promote economic development, the GLA has long worked to promote London overseas, attract inward investment and share knowledge with the Chinese people for the benefit of Londoners.
London & Partners hasundertaken60Mayor’s International Business Programme (MIBP) trademissions to promote London’s businessesand secure inward investment sinceMay 2016.Five of these 60 delegations from London & Partnershave been to China.
Between 2013-2015, there were three trade missions to China, including the delegation led by the former Mayor, Boris Johnson.

Gender Pay Gap in London

Shaun Bailey: How has the gender pay gap in London changed each year since May 2016?

The Mayor: Figures for the gender pay gap for employees working in London up to 2020 are given below. The data are collected from employers for a single week in April, and the most recent are provisional. It is important to note that 2020 data relates to the first lockdown and may have been affected by the responses available (limited or delayed responses from businesses that were closed) and by the impact of many employees being on furlough. These figures are available on the London Datastore as part of my Economic Fairness indicators.
April 2016
16.2%
April 2017
16.7%
April 2018
16.7%
April 2019
17.6%
April 2020 (provisional)
18.2%[1]
In London, as well as nationally, unpaid care is still carried out disproportionately by women. This is a significant driver of the gender pay gap. Some professions wrongly reward longer hours and unbroken work patterns, which are more suitable to people without caring responsibilities. My Good Work Standard urges employers to publish action plans alongside gender and ethnicity pay gap reporting, and I lead by example by publishing action plans to reduce pay gaps for the GLA Group.
[1] https://data.london.gov.uk/economic-fairness/labour-market/gender-pay-gap/

City Hall Delegations to China

Shaun Bailey: How many City Hall delegations to China have there been since May 2016?

The Mayor: London has a long-standing relationship with the Chinese people, and not just because of the Chinese community we have here in London. In keeping with this history and the GLA’s statutory duty to promote economic development, the GLA has long worked to promote London overseas, attract inward investment and share knowledge with the Chinese people for the benefit of Londoners. This includes our knowledge sharing around the OlympicGamesand Paralympic Games ahead of 2012 and more recently around responding to the pandemic.
Since 2000, when the GLA was established, therehave been27official visitsatDeputy Mayor orsenior Mayoral adviser levelto China, as follows:
As youwill note,of the27of delegations from City Hallto China since the GLA was created, four have been since May 2016.

Skills Training for Londoners Capital Fund (3)

Susan Hall: Which further education providers have worked with prisons or young offender institutions since your £82m injection into the Skills Training for Londoners Capital Fund in 2018?

The Mayor: City Hall has no direct jurisdiction over the further education funding for prisons or young offender institutions, as this sits with the Ministry of Justice and outside the remit of the Adult Education budget.
However, the Skills for Londoner Capital prospectus did include offenders among those disadvantaged groups with whom the fund recipients could work, and £145,000 has been awarded to HMP Brixton and HMP Wormwood Scrubs.

Skills Training for Londoners Capital Fund (4)

Susan Hall: How has any further education since 2018, funded by your Skills Training for Londoners Capital Fund, provided the skills offenders need to get jobs on release and reduce offending? Please provide data showing jobs obtained on release by offenders, also evidence that the training has reduced reoffending.

The Mayor: I have invested £145,000 through my Skills for Londoners Capital fund across two prisons in London. This investment has been made via Novus, London's lead Offender Learning provider. Brixton Prison has received funding which has contributed towards a state of the art bakery learning facility for offender learners. Wormwood Scrubs Prison has received funding to invest in the refurbishment of a canteen/restaurant whereby offender learners will access education and skills supporting their progression to employment. Both schemes enable learners to develop their skills in real life working environments, using industry standard equipment to achieve catering qualifications. Learners are also supported in finding employment ahead of release.
Novus, London’s lead for Offender Learning collects data on employment and re-offending however this data is not yet available as Wormwood Scrubs is still in the construction phase and the bakery at Brixton Prison has been closed due to the pandemic. This data will be captured when available.

Skills Training for Londoners Capital Fund (1)

Susan Hall: Has all of the £82m funding you announced in August 2018 since been awarded to further education colleges & training providers across the capital? Please provide headline figures showing where & when it was spent.

The Mayor: Yes, all the £82m was awarded to further education and training providers. It has been allocated through my Skills for Londoners Capital Fund Round 2 (SFL R2), Mayor’s Construction Academy (MCA), Small Project and Equipment Fund Round 2 (SPEF R2), COVID-19 Emergency Recovery Support Fund (ERSF) and the COVID Contingency Fund.
Breakdown of the headline figures shows what projects the fund has already been spent on and when it was claimed in the attached table.

The Mayor: MQ 2021-0670 table of spend.xlsx

Homebuilding Capacity Fund (3)

Susan Hall: Which London councils submitted bids to your Home Building Capacity Fund, so that more socially rented & genuinely affordable homes on small sites, could be delivered in London? Please detail the progress made to date, in achieving these aims.

The Mayor: Barnet, Croydon, Enfield, Hackney, Harrow, Kingston on Thames, Merton and Tower Hamlets are the councils which have been provided with funding from the Homebuilding Capacity Fund to deliver more social rented and other genuinely affordable homes on small sites in London. Examples of projects include councils commissioning reports such as: small sites studies and implementation strategies, design codes and strategic planning documents.
Councils have consistently provided positive feedback about the impact of the Homebuilding Capacity Fund on their delivery programmes. The GLA is commissioning an independent impact study of the Homebuilding Capacity Fund, which will be undertaken this year. The study will provide further detail about the impact of this funding on council housing delivery programmes in London.

Mayor’s Good Growth Fund (1)

Susan Hall: Please advise which 33 projects across London were awarded funding via the second round of the Mayor’s Good Growth Fund, as referred to in your press release on 04/12/18, entitled Mayor backs projects with £30m to help reduce deprivation.

The Mayor: Please find below a list of the 33 projects that were funded as part of the Good Growth Programme round 2:
Project and applicant
Description
Funding allocated
A new parent-led childcare enterprise for local parents in Deptford, Lewisham,
New Economics Foundation
To deliver genuinely affordable workspace to address local childcare needs.
£81,400
Affordable Artist Studios at St Bernard's Chapel,
Catalyst Housing Limited, Ealing
To transform St Bernard’s Chapel to accommodate creative workspace and studios.
£533,713

Community-Led Regeneration: The Blue Market,
London Borough of Southwark
Turn Bermondsey’s historic town centre and street market into a thriving area, building on The Blue’s identity as the ‘Larder of London’.
£2,312,500
Boston Manor, Community and Creative Catalyst,
London Borough of Hounslow
Deliver affordable creative makerspaces and a marketplace as part of an ambitious restoration of Boston Manor House and Park
£490,000
Bridging Neighbourhoods - Growing Talent,
English National Ballet, Tower Hamlets
Deliver a multi-disciplinary creative hub on the Lea River Estuary promoting community programming and skills development.
£1,000,000
Centre 404 Build Our Future,
Centre 404, Islington
Provide space for much-needed additional support and services for people with learning disabilities and carers from the LGBTQ+ community.
£640,000
Church Street Triangle,
Westminster City Council
A range of high street improvements which set the tone for the delivery of the Church Street Regeneration programme.
£977,000
Enhancing Toynbee Hall's Spaces,
Toynbee Hall, Tower Hamlets
Bolster wellbeing spaces for valuable support services for the local community.
£340,000
Enterprising Tottenham High Road,
London Borough of Haringey
Transform Tottenham High Road into a centre for local enterprise.
£2,000,000
Erith Regeneration Programme Phase ll,
London Borough of Bexley
Investment into Phase II of the regeneration of Erith Town Centre which will provide a range of improvements, from business support to public realm interventions.
£1,600,000
Expanding Kensal's Creative Economy,
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
To support the Kensal Canalside Opportunity Area development and its local economy.
£1,000,000
FUTURE POLKA,
Polka Children's Theatre Ltd, Merton
To create new and refurbished performance, rehearsal, learning and play spaces at The Polka Children’s Theatre.
£1,200,000
Grahame Park Life - 'Bringing the Old Library Back to Life',
Notting Hill Genesis, Barnet
The “Old Library” will be transformed into a dynamic multi-use enterprise, skills and community hub in the heart of Grahame Park, Colindale.
£200,400
Grand Union Canal Activation,
Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation
A range of interventions to promote better use of the Grant Union Canal.
£1,200,000
Harrow Arts Centre,
Harrow Arts Centre - Harrow Council
To improve the civic and cultural infrastructure on the Harrow Arts Centre.
£760,000
Holloway Road – NYT,
National Theatre of Great Britain, Islington
To transform NYT’s Holloway Road building into a thriving cultural hub for young people.
£2,000,000
Improving Public Assets in Islington,
London Borough of Islington
A range of investments across Caledonian Road to better understand how the local community can benefit from the economy.
£350,000
Intensifying Barking's Industry,
Be First on behalf of London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
To showcase how a 1.8-acre under-utilised site in a Strategic Industrial Location (SIL) can be transformed into a model of how industrial land can be used.
£1,000,000
Kingsley Hall - at the heart of community life,
Livability, Barking and Dagenham
To transform the Kingsley Hall Church and Community Centre (KHCCC) into a central space for skills training and lifestyle activities.
£1,500,000
New Creative and Future Galleries (NCFG),
British Academy of Film and Television (BAFTA), City of Westminster
To deliver a multipurpose creative space and gallery which will support underrepresented groups through Learning and New Talent outreach programmes.
£418,500
Opening up 46-50 Copperfield,
Ragged School Museum, Tower Hamlets
Deliver refurbishments to support the sustainable operations of a historic canal-side museum and learning environment.
£300,000
Project Beanstalk,
Pursuing Independent Paths (PiP), City of Westminster
Open a new delivery centre offering independent living and vocational skills training to adults with learning disabilities.
£256,224
Rainham SIL - Access and Innovation,
London Borough of Havering
To provide an Innovation Hub which will boost productivity and skills in Havering and across East London.
£1,631,940
Reigniting the Festival Church,
St. John's Waterloo, Lambeth
Deliver a state-of-the-art venue for training and technological education, economic development and arts and community events.
£760,000
Re-Imagining the Everyday Spaces in South Norwood,
London Borough of Croydon
To breathe life into South Norwood High Street through a range of high street improvements.
£1,161,426
Ridley Road - Dalston Town Centre,
London Borough of Hackney
To produce a regeneration strategy and delivery plan for Dalston town centre to ensure a clear vision is set for its future success.
£770,000
Securing Southwark Playhouse's Future,
Southwark Playhouse Theatre Company, Southwark
To fit out a purpose-built theatre at the Elephant and Castle into a new home for Southwark Playhouse Theatre.
£750,000
Securing the future of the Yard Theatre and Hub67 in Hackney Wick,
The Yard Theatre Limited, Tower Hamlets
Secure a long-term future for The Yard Theatre and Community Centre in Hackney Wick.
£900,000
Studio 3 Arts - Changing the Boundary,
Studio 3 Arts Ltd, Barking and Dagenham
To transform Studio 3 Arts' venue in Gascoigne Estate into a world-class cultural venue.
£500,000
The Africa Centre Capital Project,
The Africa Centre, Southwark
To redevelop a disused office building in Southwark to house the 21st century Africa Centre.
£1,600,000
The Bricklayers Arms Oasis,
London Borough of Southwark
To transform an underused and gated podium space into an urban oasis for the wider community to use.
£199,270
The Gramophone,
Really Local Group Limited, Hillingdon
To transform the Gramophone into an exciting new cultural and creative hub.
£1,200,000
Wandsworth Community Food Bus,
Feeding Britain, Wandsworth
To refurbish a bus that provides access to low cost healthy fresh food in areas of high depravation in Wandsworth.
£120,950

Mayor’s Good Growth Fund (2)

Susan Hall: Please advise as to whether the 33 London projects, awarded funding via the second tranche of the Mayor’s Good Growth Fund in 2018, focussed on supporting Londoners in areas with high levels of unemployment, youth violence & poor mental health. Please give examples of the work of the projects.

The Mayor: The Good Growth Programme has supported a number of projects that are located or operate within areas of London with high levels of multiple deprivation. The following projects provide examples of these projects.
Enhancing Toynbee Hall – Toynbee Hall (Tower Hamlets)
Toynbee Hall has been providing services in the East End of London for over 130 years. The organization provides support and advice for those struggling with housing and homelessness, isolation, financial exploitation and debt. The organization has undertaken the regeneration of its estate in order to provide access to a multi-functional space for the community, while raising revenue from private hire of its traditional hall for reinvestment into its programmes and services.
Good Growth Fund investment delivered enhanced design and fit-out for Toynbee’s new Centre for Wellbeing (WBC) and Centre for Advice (CA). The project has delivered over 800 m2 of improved public realm and over 350m2 of new community space. The project was completed in July 2020.
Kingsley Hall – Liveability (Barking & Dagenham)
Kingsley Hall Church and Community Centre lies at the centre of the Becontree Estate, one of the most deprived areas in London. The centre provides space for a wide range of community uses. The Good Growth Fund investment is supporting the transformation of the centre, providing flexible community spaces, theatre/rehearsal space, a healthy food cafe, sports hall, community training kitchen, makerspace/workshop and co-working area. The extension of the community centre will also free up space on the site for the delivery of new affordable housing.
The project will support 50 businesses, serve over 1,000 young people through new programming and offer 50 training opportunities each year in the new training kitchen. The project commenced on site in October 2020 and is due to complete in August 2021.

Skills Training for Londoners Capital Fund (6)

Susan Hall: How has the London Economic Action Partnership (LEAP) funding been meeting the skills gap in London created by the UK leaving the EU?

The Mayor: My Skills for Londoners Capital Fund which the LEAP supports the building and refurbishment of training facilities to support skills development, vocational training and adult learning across key skills sectors including digital, health and social care, science and technology and construction. The funding invests in physical spaces which are flexible and adaptive and are designed to meet the changing needs of the economy, as a result of Brexit.

20.4m violence reduction fund (3)

Susan Hall: How many youth workers have been introduced at London hospital A&E Units? What evidence is there that they are helping young people to turn away from violence & gangs?

The Mayor: My Violence Reduction Unit is prioritising investment to those who hold key trusted relationships with young people. Frontline youth workers have the lived experience and relationships to deliver early interventions that can make all the difference to a young person’s future. In 2019, I invested £4 million to fund additional teams of youth workers in five additional Accident & Emergency hospitals in areas with high levels of young victims of violent crime. City Hall funding now supports 28 youth work posts supporting young victims of violence and domestic abuse. In the Major Trauma Centre services 58% of young people accessing the service reported a reduction in risk six months after receiving an intervention.

20.4m violence reduction fund (2)

Susan Hall: What effect has your £20.4m violence reduction fund since had on London gangs?

The Mayor: The Violence Reduction Unit had a budget of £14.8m for 2019/20 and £19.7m for 2020/21. From this, the VRU has provided £8.8m to local authorities to support violence reduction, including that which is gang related. There has also been £2m to support work within Major Trauma Centres at a key teachable moment, as well as the VRU Education Programme, which has invested £7m in more than 250 schools and PRUs across all London boroughs to deliver more inclusive education for all school children and reduce the risk of exploitation by gangs.
Comparing 2020 to 2019, there were 127 homicides against 150 the previous year. Knife crime was reduced by 25.0%, knife crime with injury (victim under 25) was down 28.0%, gun crime was down 24.0% and robbery down 31%.

Mayor’s Good Growth Fund (3)

Susan Hall: Please advise as to whether the 33 London-based projects to benefit from the second round of the Mayor’s Good Growth Fund in 2018, have since supported the creation of new jobs, fuelled investment in community assets & driven sustainable economic growth in the areas exhibiting the highest levels of deprivation in London. Please provide examples.

The Mayor: The Good Growth Fund has awarded projects that are located or operate within areas of London with high levels of multiple deprivation. In Round 2 of the Good Growth Fund 44% of projects were in the 20% most deprived areas nationally. These projects received 57% of the total funding allocation. When we analyse GGF Round 2 allocations by income deprivation, 50% of projects and 59% of funding were allocated to the most income deprived areas nationally. The Round 2 projects are forecast to create over 4,000 jobs, Create or improve 285,000 sqm2 of public realm and over 50,000sm2 of new or improved commercial space.
The following projects provide examples of these projects
Kingsley Hall Church and Community Centre located within the Becontree Estate - one of the most deprived areas in London. The Project will focus on quality design to engage the local community; retain Providing flexible spaces, theatre/rehearsal space, cafe, sports hall, teaching kitchen, workshop, community shop and co-working area.
Forecast outputs
Volunteer opportunities 500
Jobs created 25
Training Opportunities
Brixton Rec Quarter The grant will provide w provide affordable light industrial and laboratory spaces. Public realm and shopfront improvements to Brixton Station Road, Beehive Place
Forecast outputs
Volunteer opportunities 5,800
Jobs created 337
Commercial space 4,750 m2
Church Street is part of Westminster council most ambitious programme of estate renewal. It will deliver a high-quality workspace, gallery and meeting venue linking with other affordable workspace in the area to form part of an enterprise ecosystem. Forecast outputs
Commercial space created 287m2
Community participation 300
Public realm created 127m2

84.8m police funding (1)

Susan Hall: Further to the £95m police funding you announced in December 2018, has all of the £84.8m intended for the Met Police since been spent on crime fighting measures in the capital i.e. new police officers, specialist investigators to disrupt gang violence & state-of-the-art equipment?

The Mayor: This funding was allocated to budgets to be spent on those areas. It has now been spent in full.

London Transition Board (2)

Leonie Cooper: The last minutes available are from the 25th November, can you confirm whether the transition board is still meeting every 6 weeks?

The Mayor: The next Board meeting is on the 18th of March – there was a pause in December 2020 as immediate work was needed on the 2nd wave of the pandemic. Subsequent Board meetings are intended to take place after the pre-election period, and the specific date for this will be set in due course.

3.5m Anti-violence initiatives fund

Susan Hall: Since your injection of £3.5m funding for anti-violence initiatives in the capital in 2019, when did the “Information Sharing to Tackle Violence” initiative go live? How has this resulted in more effective data sharing between Community Safety Partnerships, health services & other violence reduction partners?

The Mayor: The Information Sharing to Tackle Violence programme started in 2015/16 with funding from the Home Office to encourage London’s 29 Type 1 Emergency Departments to share anonymous data on assaults, many of which are not reported to the police. MOPAC have funded the programme since 2017/18. As a result of this work, all London’s Emergency Departments have shared data, and despite the pressures of the pandemic on Emergency Departments, 28 of these shared data over the past year. These data have been combined into a pan-London dataset with over 135,000 anonymised records of assaults. The data are made available via the GLA’s ‘Safestats’ data sharing platform – a secure, multi-agency data platform for authorised crime and community safety analysts. Case studies outlining how the data have been used to reduce violence can be found below:
https://data.london.gov.uk/information-sharing-to-tackle-violence/

Payment of the ULEZ charge by MPs

Caroline Pidgeon: Do you consider it acceptable that MPs can claim back payments of the ULEZ charge through the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority scheme of expenses for MPs? Will you consider making representations to ensure that such payments are not an entitlement for MPs and that the imposition of the ULEZ charge applies equally to MPs as to all other drivers?

The Mayor: The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is improving London’s air with fewer dirty, polluting vehicles on our roads. The central London ULEZ has already led to immediate health benefits for Londoners with significant reductions in pollution. In the first ten months of operation, there was a 44 per cent reduction in roadside concentrations of NO2 in the zone.
More than four in five vehicles that travel in the ULEZ already meet the ULEZ emission standards and I would hope that our elected politicians could lead by example and, where they must drive in London, ensure that their vehicles are part of the large proportion which meet the ULEZ standards. All drivers have a role in cleaning up London’s air and I do not think it is acceptable that MPs should be able to claim back payments for the ULEZ charge when there are many alternative options available to driving a polluting vehicle.

London Plan Annual Monitoring Report (1)

Andrew Boff: The London Plan Annual Monitoring Report for the period 2018/19 was due to be published in Autumn 2020 but is now long overdue. Can you please confirm the reason for the delay, whether the report has yet been produced, and when it will be published?

The Mayor: The reason for the delay to the 16th Annual Monitoring Report were some delays in data and also capacity issues arising from the Coronavirus pandemic. The report has now been published.

Tube Noise [6]

Andrew Dismore: From which locations are you removing Pandrol Vanguard pads? Will you be replacing them with Delkor at all locations? What is the timescale for this work?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is currently assessing certain locations where it may be beneficial to remove Pandrol Vanguard, and will share further details later this year.

Heathrow expansion and the London Plan

Siân Berry: Will the policies in your London Plan be able to stop expansion at Heathrow?

The Mayor: Expansion at Heathrow would be bad for London and I remain resolutely opposed to it.
I have fought the Government’s Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS) in the courts and I am deeply frustrated that the Supreme Court decided to reinstate the ANPS after it had been suspended.
The London Environment Strategy, my Transport Strategy and the London Plan rightly set a very high bar for any proposals for a third runway at Heathrow, which the plans do not reach.
However, as long as the Government’s ANPS remains in place in its current form, it will have weight in decision making.
I wrote to the Secretary of State for Transport on 6 January to reiterate my request that he review the ANPS in light of the latest climate change targets. I will also respond to the Government’s long-delayed consultation on aviation and net zero carbon when it is finally published.

London Growth Hub – ‘Go Digital’

Leonie Cooper: How many businesses do you anticipate will be supported to ‘go digital’ as a result of the support offered by the London Growth Hub?

The Mayor: The London Business Hub is on track to have supported over 2,000 businesses in 2021/22, the majority of whom have been supported through a range of funding and business support programmes to help them to “go digital”. Because digital adoption is such a central part of everything we now do, it is not possible to sperate this from wider business support. For example, much of our £1.4m of Covid-19 Recovery Grants has been used to support businesses to purchase new equipment or consultancy support to trade online, adopt new technology or develop their digital strategies. The London Business Hub’s workshops and webinars have seen the delivery or a range of essential digital support covering subjects such as e-commerce, social media and tech adoption.
The London Business Hub will also shortly be launching its brand-new Technology Adoption Service. This digital tool is a free, searchable online marketplace which helps small businesses find the right software and hardware systems to meet their needs. By supporting the adoption of tried and tested tech solutions such as web-based accounting, cloud-based computing, e-commerce and customer relationship management systems, small businesses’ productivity can be increased by as much as 18.3 per cent. Supporting businesses in this area is therefore a key priority for the London Business Hub.

Census

Nicky Gavron: How will you ensure that short-term population shifts as a result of the pandemic don’t influence London’s funding for the next 10 years as a result of the census?

The Mayor: Current data on short-term fluctuations in London’s population are unreliable, but we consider a fall in London’s population is likely to have occurred over the year to March 2021. Fewer people migrated into London while outflows remained steady or may even have increased. The decennial census count on 21 March will reflect this lower population.
Post-Covid-19 recovery will encourage migration to London once again and reduce the impact. However, the timing and strength of London’s economic recovery may be key to the rate of short-term population growth.
It has not yet been decided how MHCLG will take account of the evidence on population in setting formula-based funding for local authorities. Given the timing of the Census, we will be monitoring demographic evidence from a wide range of sources and use this to lobby MHCLG to ensure a fair settlement for London.

Affordable Housing (2)

Leonie Cooper: How many affordable homes in Merton has the Mayor funded or supported via planning, since May 2016?

The Mayor: A report of funding granted for affordable housing is published on London.gov.uk and a list of affordable housing schemes that receive funding, together with the amounts awarded, are also published and available to view https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/housing-and-land/increasing-housing-supply/affordable-housing-statistics.
The latest London Plan Annual Monitoring report shows that a net total of 173 affordable homes were completed in Merton between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2019.
To help improve information about the supply of affordable housing in London through the planning system I have launched the Planning DataHub and included a dashboard that will enable you to interrogate the data based on borough. In addition to this I have published a full report of all interventions I have made in the planning process https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/planning/implementing-london-plan/monitoring-london-plan with a review of applications referred to the Mayor at the bottom of the page. There is also further supporting data which enables a review of all applications that have been referred to me, and the changes achieved from first submission through to the decision on the application.
A demonstration of the DataHub can be organised by contacting Peter Kemp in the Planning Unit.

Privately owned public green space

Nicky Gavron: There is a vast amount of privately owned green space in London, much of which is there for public amenity, for example, sports fields. However, CPRE London reports that many fields are being deliberately fenced off, stopping pitches from being booked, removing public access and allowing the land to become derelict, with a view to applying for planning permission once five years has passed and Sport England can no longer challenge them. What policy and legal levers are there to challenge private landowners to keep the fields in use for sports, where relevant, and open for public amenity more generally?

The Mayor: My London Plan provides the strongest possible protection for London’s valued open spaces. This can include both publicly accessible and private open spaces. The Plan also provides clear protections for sports and recreation land, including playing pitches, much of which will also be part of other open space designations. Any applications for proposals which involve a loss of protected open space and/or playing pitches would need to be assessed against the criteria in these policies.
It is not possible to control the access to, and the maintenance of existing private sports facilities or other private open spaces through the planning system. However, the relevant local authority can be contacted in cases where unauthorised works have been undertaken to restrict access to land where there are public rights of way. Where new public open spaces are created, the Plan states that these should remain publicly accessible. I am currently developing a Public London Charter which aims to ensure that London’s public spaces are safe, accessible, inclusive, attractive, well-connected and easy to understand, well maintained and serviced.

President Biden

Andrew Dismore: Will you join me in congratulating the new Biden administration? What will the new administration mean for London?

The Mayor: Yes.In November, I personally congratulated President Biden and Vice-President Harris on their historic election.
After just over a month in office, the Biden administration has not only held true to their promises, but shown their commitment to the common priorities that London and the United States share: working to overcome and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, tackling the climate emergency, and breaking down the barriers and discrimination which exist in our societies.
The new Biden administration is also upholding the values we share: tolerance for one another, respect for the rule of law, and our responsibility to build a better future for the next generation.
I look forward to continuing to work with partners across the Unites States on these common goals.

Affordable Housing (1)

Leonie Cooper: How many affordable homes in Wandsworth has the Mayor funded or supported via planning, since May 2016?

The Mayor: A report of funding granted for affordable housing is published on London.gov.uk and a list of affordable housing schemes that receive funding, together with the amounts awarded, are also published and available to view https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/housing-and-land/increasing-housing-supply/affordable-housing-statistics.
The latest London Plan Annual Monitoring report shows that a net total of 886 affordable homes were completed in Wandsworth between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2019.
To help improve information about the supply of affordable housing in London through the planning system I have launched the Planning Datahub and included a dashboard that will enable you to interrogate the data based on borough. In addition to this I have published a full report of all interventions I have made in the planning process https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/planning/implementing-london-plan/monitoring-london-plan with a review of applications referred to the Mayor at the bottom of the page. There is also further supporting data which enables a review of all applications that have been referred to me, and the changes achieved from first submission through to the decision on the application.
A demonstration of the DataHub can be organised by contacting Peter Kemp in the Planning Unit.

Air Pollution in Enfield & Haringey (1)

Joanne McCartney: How much has air pollution reduced across Enfield & Haringey since 2016?

The Mayor: My bold policies to tackle air pollution have contributed to significant reductions in air pollution across London, including in Enfield and Haringey. In Enfield and Haringey the number of schools located in areas exceeding the legal limit for nitrogen dioxide went from 26 in 2016 to zero in 2019 so no schools in Enfield and Haringey are in areas with illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide. The “Air pollution monitoring data in London: 2016 – 2020” report includes data from six sites in Enfield and Haringey.
In 2016 three sites exceeded the legal limits for NO2, in 2019 all sites were within the legal limit. These sites recorded reductions in annual average NO2 pollution of 10 – 27 per cent, with an average reduction of 17 per cent.
However, there is more work still to do to clean up London’s air. All schools in Enfield and Haringey still exceed the World Health Organization guideline limits for particulate matter (PM2.5). This is why I am committed to expanding the ULEZ later this year. I have also consistently demanded that the Government match my ambitions and improve the new Environment Bill to include legally binding WHO recommended limits to be achieved by 2030, and to give cities the powers and funding we need to eradicate air pollution.
The full records of all monitoring sites across London can be found in the “Air pollution monitoring data in London: 2016 – 2020” report here:
https://www.london.gov.uk/WHAT-WE-DO/environment/environment-publications/air-pollution-monitoring-data-london-2016-2020

Hammersmith Bridge (2)

Leonie Cooper: Can the Mayor update me on the medium-term situation – is a temporary bridge going to be installed soon?

The Mayor: Hammersmith & Fulham Council has commissioned Foster / COWI to assess the option of a temporary ‘bridge within a bridge’. I understand their feasibility report will be finalised within the next fortnight.
As noted in my response to Mayor’s Question 2021/1063, TfL is focused on getting the temporary ferry service up and running as soon as possible

Thrive LDN (2)

Navin Shah: What actions do Thrive LDN take to actively support Londoners with severe and complex mental illnesses specifically?

The Mayor: Thrive LDN is a citywide movement to ensure all Londoners have an equal opportunity to good mental health and wellbeing. Those with severe and complex mental health needs have been identified as a group disproportionately affected by the pandemic. The Mental Health Foundation’s Mental Health in the Pandemic study found that people who entered the pandemic with a prior experience of mental health problems have been far more likely to experience feelings of anxiety, panic, and hopelessness.
As a participation-driven partnership, Thrive LDN works with Londoners with lived experience of poor mental health and organisations such as Mental Health Foundation and local MIND services in London to drive outcomes for and support those with severe and complex mental needs.
Further to this, we are working with South East London CCG to develop initial forecasting for demand in mental health services and better understand the needs of Londoners requiring support for their mental health.

Tube noise

Leonie Cooper: Many residents continue to have issues with tube noise near South Wimbledon station. Can the Mayor update me on works to improve the situation permanently?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) plans to carry out rail grinding in this area later this month, on both the northbound and southbound tracks. Rail grinding reduces rail roughness, and TfL hopes this will reduce disturbance residents have experienced. TfL is also considering whether any changes to the track-form could be made in this area, and I have asked that you are kept updated.
While TfL is not currently carrying out residential noise monitoring due to current coronavirus restrictions, TfL will carry out further measurements in this area once this programme has restarted.

Running a 'Saturday Service'

Shaun Bailey: Since the pandemic began, how many times has TfL run a ‘Saturday service’ and for how long did it last? Please provide the dates it began and ended.

The Mayor: In addition to the usual Saturday timetables, Saturday service schedules were introduced during weekdays on some Transport for London (TfL) services in response to the outbreak of the pandemic. This helped TfL to maintain a reliable service at a time when many staff were unable to work because they were self-isolating, ill or clinically extremely vulnerable.
Saturday services also operated, as per usual, across some TfL services on Bank Holidays and some of the weekdays over the festive period.

Thrive LDN (1)

Navin Shah: What are Thrive LDNs biggest successes?

The Mayor: Thrive LDN’s biggest success is its participation-driven approach. When I launched Thrive LDN, alongside health and care partners, we began an open dialogue with Londoners – to encourage everyone to think, talk and act more when it comes to mental wellbeing. Through Thrive LDN, we are seeing sustained outreach, engagement and direct involvement with Londoners, as well as a growing awareness of mental health and how social inequalities can impact on it.
The programme provides the foundations for us to make even bigger strides in tackling the most complex health issues affecting Londoners. The range of community-led activities, partnerships and campaigns which Thrive LDN has delivered has provided the collective action needed to support local neighbourhoods, groups and individuals to develop strength and resilience.
Partnership working has never been more important, particularly at a time when resources are more stretched than ever, and I’m incredibly grateful to everyone prepared to support the challenge.

The Real Lettings Property Fund 2 (1)

Susan Hall: Further to your press release dated 01/02/18, entitled “Mayor invests £15m to buy homes for homeless Londoners”, could you please advise as to whether 330 properties have since been made available for homeless people across the capital at genuinely affordable rents?

The Mayor: The Real Lettings Property Fund 2 has leased 308 properties within London to St Mungo Community Housing Association to house individuals and families who have been homeless or are at risk of homelessness. A further 13 properties within London will be leased to St Mungo Community Housing Association and are in the process of being purchased or refurbished. Properties are let to the tenant at the Local Housing Allowance rate.

TfL Contracts with Chinese Companies

Shaun Bailey: How many contracts does TfL have with companies that are based in China and please list them?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) currently has one direct contract with a company based in China: CRRC CORPORATION LIMITED for the Manufacture and Supply of New Twin Bogied Wagons with a current value of £9.4m

Tube Noise

Navin Shah: A response I received from TfL in regards to tube noise issues states that due to the financial impact of the pandemic “some non-safety-critical activities” have been delayed and that they could not confirm next steps when it comes to tube noise issues until the 2021/2022 budget has been confirmed. Will you commit to making tackling tube noise, that has a serious impact on the quality of life of many residents, a priority for the future?

The Mayor: Yes, Tube noise will continue to be a priority both for me and Transport for London (TfL).
TfL is continuing to tackle Tube noise through a number of different methods. This includes rail grinding, which works by smoothing rails and removing corrugation, which is often the root cause of residential noise. TfL has carried out over 10,000 metres of noise and vibration-related rail grinding in the last six months.
TfL will continue to carry out rail grinding, as well as other targeted interventions to reduce noise, including the removal of redundant rail joints, the maintenance of points and crossings, and re-ballasting track where required.
I understand that London Underground’s Managing Director has written to Assembly Members to provide a comprehensive update on TfL’s efforts to tackle Tube noise, including an update on planned works at a number of priority locations.

City Hall Housing Loans

Shaun Bailey: Please provide a list of all housing developers who have received loans from City Hall since May 2016 and the amount they have each received?

The Mayor: Since May 2016, 19 developers have received a commitment totalling £607m from GLA. Of this, a total of £465m has been drawn by the developers to date. Details of the amount drawn by each developer is commercially sensitive and therefore cannot be provided. This investment will enable the delivery of approximately 25,300 homes, 52% of which will be affordable.
Counterparty
Total Loan Committed (£)
Anthology Development 6 Ltd
27,905,000
Anthology Kennington Stage Limited
21,854,000
Anthology Development 4 Ltd
55,159,294
Anthology Wembley Parade Ltd
34,500,000
Apex Airspace Ltd
10,000,000
Barking Riverside Ltd
48,000,000
Central Harrow LLP
25,501,000
City & Docklands
27,000,000
Citystyle Living
2,773,535
Countryside Property
5,000,000
Mount Anvil
50,000,000
Network Homes Ltd
21,037,590
Origin Housing
27,086,956
Peabody
41,636,000
Pocket Living
56,300,000
South Harrow LLP
15,250,000
Swan New Homes Limited
50,000,000
Swan New Homes Limited and Swan Housing Association Limited
50,000,000
Waterside Places Limited Partnership
38,183,235
Total
607,186,610

The Mayor: MQ 2021-0564 City Hall Housing Loans.xlsx

GLA Contracts with Chinese Companies

Shaun Bailey: How many contracts does the GLA have with companies that are based in China and please list them?

The Mayor: The GLA has no direct contracts with Chinese companies.We do not hold records of the ultimate ownership of all companies we contract with.
We are however aware that ABP (London) Investment Limited is a subsidiary of a Chinese property company.
We have the following core agreements with them:
-Development Agreement for the Royal Albert Dock, which is between GLA Land & Property Limited (GLAP), ABP (London) Investment Limited and Dauphin Holdings Group Limited – this provides ABP with the development rights for GLAP-owned land in the Royal Docks. It was signed in May 2013.
- Lease relating to Phase 1 of Royal Albert Dock, which is between GLAP, ABP (London) Investment Limited and Royal Docks Management Authority Limited – this lease covers the completed first phase of the development and was signed in March 2017.
There are other leases between GLAP and ABP (London) Investment Limited in the Royal Docks relating to:
Compressor House – this is a lease over a small existing building in the Royal Albert Dock site which was signed in October 2013;
a Temporary Car Park – this lease covers an area of the site that is being used temporarily as a car park to serve phase 1 – it was signed in October 2019;
Plots 10C and 10D – these two leases cover plots within the Royal Albert Dock development site which are permanent landscaped areas – they were signed in December 2019;
a Temporary Energy Centre – this lease covers part of the Royal Albert Dock development site being used temporarily for an energy centre that powers phase one – it was signed in March 2017.

Skills Training for Londoners Capital Fund (2)

Susan Hall: Please detail how your £82m investment in 2018 in skills training for Londoners has helped Londoners of all ages & backgrounds to acquire the skills they need for employment.

The Mayor: My Skills for Londoners strategy and Skills for Londoners Capital fund serves Londoners of all ages and was open to all providers to take advantage of the investment opportunities. The funding was designed to respond to business and employer skills need, to create high-quality facilities and training programmes to establish a pipeline of talent both now and in the future. Alongside mainstream providers, Institutes of Adult Education (IAL’s) were targeted and they provide courses to reskill adults in a wide range of skills. The programme has committed to ensuring a diverse, inclusive workforce across different industries. Funded projects aim to increase employment opportunities for Londoners who may face barriers to entering the jobs market, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Bus driver abuse

Susan Hall: For each year, 2018, 2019 and 2020, how many incidents of abusive and threatening behaviour against bus drivers have been recorded? How many of these involved racism?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor’s Question 2021/1304

Bus driver assaults

Susan Hall: For each year, 2018, 2019 and 2020, how many assaults against bus drivers have been recorded?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL), with the support of its policing partners, is working to eradicate work-related violence and aggression towards its staff and those working for its operators and contractors. Staff should not be subjected to abuse, threats or physical assaults or any form of hate crime for simply doing their job, and TfL and the police are pushing for the strongest penalties against offenders.
The data provided below is taken from Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and British Transport Police (BTP) data for bus drivers and for London Underground Staff respectively. It is drawn from the ‘Violence against the Person’ crime category, which includes public order offences (such as threats of violence, obscenities and abuse remarks) against staff. These figures include incidents of verbal abuse, threatening behaviour and physical assault.
2018
2019
2020
Bus Driver Assaults
761
821
895
Bus Driver Assaults involving racism
137
178
235
London Underground Staff
1,338
1,277
778
London Underground Staff involving racism
256
226
144
Last year, TfL published its first pan-TfL Work-related Violence and Aggression strategy. Despite the pandemic, excellent progress has been made on the implementation of this strategy. This includes the rollout of body worn video to TfL’s directly employed staff (in line with operational requirements), and the recruitment and training of Transport Support and Enforcement Officers to support frontline colleagues and address the triggers of work-related violence and aggression.
The joint TfL/MPS-funded Roads and Transport Policing Command in the MPS and officers in the BTP prioritise the investigation of offences against transport workers, and with TfL colleagues, provide support to victims of work-related violence and aggression through the criminal justice process. We strive to secure decisions at court against offenders that properly recognise the impact on work-related violence both on the individual and our organisation.
As mentioned in my response to Mayor’s Question 2020/4612, bus drivers, as well as London Underground staff, are able to report incidents of work-related violence and aggression in a number of ways, and TfL is working to integrate this data.

Tube staff abuse

Susan Hall: For each year, 2018, 2019 and 2020, how many incidents of abusive and threatening behaviour against tube staff have been recorded? How many of these involved racism?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor’s Question 2021/1304.

Tube staff assaults

Susan Hall: For each year, 2018, 2019 and 2020, how many assaults against tube staff have been recorded?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor’s Question 2021/1304.

Waking Watches in London

Navin Shah: The Assembly found that waking watches are costing Londoners £16,000 an hour. Can explain why is it so expensive to run these ‘watches’ in London? What actions are you taking to ensure that these watches continue and what else are you doing to support Londoners living in unsafe environments due to dangerous cladding?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade collects data for buildings with a temporary suspension of ‘stay put’ where an interim simultaneous evacuation strategy has been put in place. It is for the building owner to determine what measures are needed to support this, guided by a competent fire safety professional, but this often includes a waking watch.
I have always been clear that the costs of making a building – any building - safe should not fall on individual leaseholders, and repeatedly called on the Government to protect them from this burden.
I have repeatedly highlighted that the cost of waking watch in London is far higher than outside of London. I have campaigned for Government funding to cover all interim fire safety measures, including waking watch. This should apply to all unsafe buildings regardless of height or type of safety defect. The Waking Watch Relief Fund announced by ministers in December is too little too late, which has sadly been characteristic of the Government’s entire response to the building safety crisis.

Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and Crime

David Kurten: According to Daily Telegraph article ‘Low traffic neighbourhoods could become crime 'hot spots', police warn’ on 19 December 2020: “The Metropolitan Police Service has written to councils expressing “concerns” that street closures introduced to create low traffic neighbourhoods could slow 999 response times and even encourage criminals to favour those areas because they can more easily escape pursuing officers1. A letter from a senior transport officer sent to Harrow Council in North London says: “The Metropolitan Police Service have concerns over these types of closures where bollards or planters are used. They can cause congestion on the main roads surrounding these closures and therefore cause an increase in response times for emergency calls. They have the potential to create crime ‘hot spots’ as suspects will use them to evade police.” Which other London councils has the Metropolitan Police Service written to regarding their concerns about Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, started in 2020 or due to be implemented?

1https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/12/19/low-traffic-neighbourhoods-could-become-crime-hot-spots-police/

The Mayor: The MPS Roads and Transport Policing Command (RTPC) is coordinating feedback from the MPS on the temporary schemes that have been implemented in the urgent response to the pandemic. The RTPC has invited frontline officers to provide feedback on schemes so that they can liaise with TfL or the local authorities on any specific issues relating to the schemes. Please see response to MQ 0409.
The RTPC does not have a central log for all feedback as this is done as part of regular liaison with the highway authorities and it can be an iterative process. At this stage, the MPS local BCU’s have engaged in the consultation process to ensure their feedback has been engaged with.

Violence Reduction Unit Funding

Navin Shah: Can you provide further details on how the VRUs “MyEnds” funding will help individual consortiums?

The Mayor: MyEnds is £6 million in new funding from London’s Violence Reduction Unit providing local communities with direct funding and support to deliver targeted interventions to tackle violence in their neighbourhoods.
The VRU’s MyEnds programme has been developed to put communities at the forefront of tackling violence by giving them the support they need to deliver locally designed interventions in areas of the capital that are affected by high and sustained levels of violence.
The programmes bring together local groups and individuals as part of a local community network that involves residents, community groups, young people, youth outreach workers, local authority wardens and the police, to deliver meaningful change where they live and work.
Each community network will receive up to £750,000 funding to April 2023.

Skills for Londoners

Susan Hall: Is there evidence that your Skills for Londoners initiative is helping Londoners from all backgrounds and ages develop skills they need for employment? Is this representative of all London boroughs?

The Mayor: In 2019 my Skills for Londoners Strategy said I would empower all Londoners to access the education and skills that they need to participate in society and progress in education and work.
Since then, our monitoring of the Adult Education Budget funded provision shows that 70% of all learners are women, more than half are from a minority ethnic background and around one in seven learners have a self-declared learning disability/difficulty and/or health problem. There is a relatively even geographical spread of learners by home postcode across London.
My Construction Academy, Digital Talent and European Social Fund programmes have supported over 14,000 underrepresented Londoners to access skills to help them progress in their learning or work.
For younger Londoners, my expansion of the London Enterprise Advisor Network saw the programme broaden its reach to over 540 schools and colleges, increasing the opportunities for businesses to engage directly with learners as they make choices about their future careers.

Upcoming Spending Review

Leonie Cooper: What does London need in the upcoming Spending Review?

The Mayor: Ahead of the Spending Review I wrote to the Chancellor setting out a list of priorities for London, including action to prevent rising unemployment and lost economic growth caused by the impact of COVID-19, support for our communities, including those most impacted by the virus, and help for young people to flourish.
London’s success is integral to our country’s - but there was nothing in the Review to help London in any meaningful way. The Government has continued to ignore the true scale of the economic challenges we face.It is vital for the UK’s economic recovery that London receives its fair share of investment, however it is clear that the Government intends to exclude London from many future sources of funding for growth and infrastructure. I have been clear that making Londoners poorer is not the way to help other parts of the country.

2nd round of Mayor’s Skills for Londoners’ Capital Fund (7)

Susan Hall: Can you advise how many Londoners have found work in the construction sector, as a consequence of your £7.2m investment in the Mayor’s Construction Academy?

The Mayor: Mayor’s Construction Academy capital funding was awarded in 2019 and two of the six successful projects were able to deliver planned capital works ahead of COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020 whilst the remaining projects have been more significantly impacted in their delivery. To the end of 20/21 these two projects have combined targets of 4,259 additional learners supported (including those already in employment), 294 apprenticeship starts and 328 learners progressing into employment. Progress to the end of Q3 2020/21 shows these projects had achieved 2,775 additional learners supported, 82 apprenticeship starts and 41 learners progressing. into employment
The nature of capital works means that the physical outputs are delivered first, enabling the learning outputs followed by employment outcomes to be delivered over the longer term. Outcomes arising from the £7.2m investment will be reported from 2019/20 to 2025/26 so any underachievement arising from lockdown can be addressed in future years.